U

ntil this recipe, I’d really underestimated minced pork. I like pork. I appreciate a good sausage (…ahem..) and I would fight you greedily for the crackling on a hog roast but I rarely cook with it. However my love of Asian-fusion recipes, the need for a warming Autumnal meal and some timely inspiration resulted in this tasty, moreish and speedy meatball dish.

It was an intense weekend. In training for 15km run round Lake Garda in October, it was decided that a smaller practice run was on the Saturday morning agenda. Two hours of enthusiastic and competitive running later, we’d clocked up 13 miles, some sore joints and a feisty appetite. So Sunday welcomed warm showers, relaxation and calorie replacement. And this recipe did a fine job.

Warming, comforting, firey, hoisin-sweet and punching in flavour, it was like an Asian hug in a bowl after a hectic weekend. It also makes a super speedy mid week meal and fantastic leftovers. I’m eating them as I write and they are just as good the second time round on a bowl of vegetable stir fry or raw courgette.

Rice – serve on your rice of choice. I’d recommend a jasmine or a sticky rice to avoid too many flavours. I do however like to squeeze a generous lime into the rice once cooked to add some contrast to the sweet hoisin here.

Serve 4

Meatballs

• 600g minced pork
• 30 self raising flour
• 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic gloves, grated
• 1 small red chilli (as hot as you like)

Sauce

• 1 bunch spring onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 125ml chicken stock

To serve

• Steamed pak choy, broccoli,/any green vege
• Bunch coriander, chopped
• Steamed coconut/jasmine/brown/sticky rice (of choice)
• 1 lime

1. Start by combining all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Use your (clean) hands, combine the mixture together so that everything is mixed well. Don’t overwork and pound the meat or it’ll give you rubbery meatballs. Chill for about 15 minutes.
2. Once a little chilled, heat your oven to 240°C.
3. Start cooking your rice now.
4. Roll your pork into meatballs – golf balls size (about 16)
5. Get a large frying pan on a high heat and add a splash of sunflower oil. (I like to fry mine to give a crispy outside then finish them off in the oven. Alternatively you can avoid this step and jump straight to the oven). Flash fry your meatballs for a few minutes until they form a dark golden crust on the outside. Place into a lined baking dish and add to the oven for about 10 minutes to finish cooking.
6. Meanwhile make your sauce. Add a splash more oil to your frying pan and fry the spring onions on a medium heat to soften slightly. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for another minute.
7. Add the hoisin and the soy and stir well. Finally add the stock and simmer gently until the sauce thickens slightly.
8. Remove your meatballs from the oven and add them to the frying pan and coat them liberally in the sauce.
9. Add a good squeeze of lime to the cooked rice if appropriate and serve about 4 meatballs per person on top of this. Spoon over some of the excess sauce.
10. Scatter with coriander and a squeeze of lime if needed.
11. Serve alongside your fresh greens.