Sweet-And-Sour Pork Meatballs With Pineapple

Don’t be timid about the crushed red pepper: This meal is at its most delicious when it has a bit of a kick to it.

Whenever I order Chinese food, I start with something sweet and sour, no matter what. Even with Italian cuisine, I’ve always been partial to sauces with a sweet and sour flavor.

Alternately, you might bake the meatballs rather than frying them if you want to cut down on the amount of time, effort, and calories you consume (see notes at the end of the recipe).

So, tell me, what is your go-to dish when you get Chinese takeout? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Table of Contents

Ingredients

1.05 kg of ground pork
1/2 of a small onion, chopped very finely
1 big egg
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
a half of a teaspoon’s worth of crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1 tsp. kosher salt
Black pepper, to your liking.
1 and a half cups of beef broth and one and a half cups of white wine vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
Two tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons worth of cornstarch
1/4 c. vegetable oil, for frying
1/4 measuring cup of all-purpose flour
2 coarsely sliced red bell peppers
1 and a half tablespoons of fresh pineapple pieces
2 scallions, sliced
Rice, cooked and white, for serving purposes

Direction

Sweet-And-Sour Pork Meatballs With Pineapple

1. In a medium bowl, use your hands to combine the ground pork, chopped onion, egg, breadcrumbs, crushed red pepper, salt, and a few turns of the pepper mill.

Form the dough into 36 to 38 equal-sized balls and arrange them in a single layer on a baking pan. Freeze until stiff, about 15 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the beef broth, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Set aside.

3. Heat 1/3 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Place the flour in the center of a large platter. Flour the meatballs before rolling them in them.

4. Sauté the meatballs in two batches until they have a browned exterior, flipping them occasionally. This should take approximately four minutes per batch. Transfer the meatballs to a platter that has been coated with paper towels.

5. First, remove all the oil from the skillet and clean it. Cooking over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and stir to combine.

Toss in the bell peppers and continue to cook, frequently turning, for three minutes or until spots of browning appear on the peppers. After adding the pineapple, continue cooking for another minute while stirring it gently. Add the scallions and stir them in.

6. The meatballs should be added to the skillet after the broth mixture has been poured in. Turn the heat down to medium and continue cooking, occasionally stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to bubble.

Add some salt and red pepper flakes for seasoning. Serve atop a bed of rice.

Notes

Before rolling the meatballs, prevent sticking by lightly soaking your hands in water.
When ground pork is being cooked, the safe internal temperature for pork is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a digital cooking thermometer to determine when the food is done.
Because of the potential for the pan to become overcrowded, you might wish to cook the meatballs in two separate batches, depending on the size of the pan you’re using.
Complete the dinner by serving it atop rice and accompanying it with an Asian vegetable mix.
It is possible to prepare meatballs ahead of time, then store them in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
You can use your crockpot to reheat pork meatballs if you cook them in advance and then store them in the refrigerator.
Switching out the soy sauce for tamari will make these pork meatballs suitable for gluten-free diets.