Quick Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs

Ingredients

• ground pork — 400 g
• egg — 1 large
• breadcrumbs — 1/3 cup
• scallions — 2 stalks, chopped
• ketchup — 3 tbsp
• white vinegar — 2 tbsp
• sugar — 2 tbsp
• soy sauce — 1 tbsp
• cornstarch — 1 tbsp + 1 tsp for slurry
• cooking oil — 3 tbsp

Steps (beginner-friendly)

1. In a bowl, mix ground pork, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, half the scallions, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir in one direction until sticky.
2. Wet your hands and roll the mixture into about 20 small balls, each roughly 3 cm across.
3. Mix the sauce in a small bowl: 3 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water.
4. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and fry, rolling them occasionally, 6-8 minutes until browned all over and cooked inside (cut one open to check — no pink).
5. Pour off excess fat, keep the meatballs in the pan, and pour in the sauce.
6. Simmer on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, gently shaking the pan, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.
7. Stir in 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water; cook 30 seconds until the sauce turns glossy and coats every meatball.
8. Top with the remaining scallions and serve hot with rice.