Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs over White Rice

Ground pork meatballs with sweet and sour sauce over white rice with fresh sliced chives.

These sweet and sour pork meatballs over white rice are a delicious combination of savory and tangy flavors. The juicy pork meatballs are seasoned with shallots, Panko crumbs, chives, and other spices, which give them great texture and flavor. The sweet and sour sauce is a perfect complement, with its rich blend of honey, soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, and sriracha sauce. The sauce is thick and sticky and coats the meatballs, creating a flavor explosion in every bite. The dish is completed with a bed of fluffy white rice, which serves as the perfect base for the meatballs and sauce. This dish is sure to satisfy your taste buds with its combination of sweet and savory flavors.

Servings

4

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Total Time

60 minutes

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh chives, sliced (reserve some for garnish)

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup salted butter
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon hot water (to form a slurry)

For the Rice:

  • 1 cup uncooked white rice
  • 2 cups water
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (for cooking meatballs)

Instructions

Meatball Preparation:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine ground pork, Panko bread crumbs, beaten egg, finely diced shallot, buttermilk, sea salt, and black pepper.
  • Mix thoroughly using a masher or your hands.
  • Using a 2-inch scoop, shape the mixture into meatballs. You should get approximately 12 meatballs.

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

  • In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter without browning.
  • Add honey, soy sauce, white vinegar, ketchup, and sriracha sauce. Mix well.
  • Slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry and continue to stir until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Once done, set aside.

Rice Cooking:

  • In a separate pot, combine uncooked rice, water, and a pinch of salt.
  • Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed.

Meatball Cooking:

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
  • Add the meatballs and cover.
  • Cook over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, for approximately 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F at the center of the largest meatball.

Serving:

  • On a serving plate, lay a bed of the cooked white rice.
  • Place the cooked meatballs on top.
  • Generously drizzle the sweet and sour sauce over the meatballs.
  • Garnish with freshly sliced chives.

Prepare ground pork, egg, shallot, buttermilk, Panko crumbs, fine sea salt, and black pepper to form the meatballs.

Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix together using a masher utensil.

Use a 2 inch scoop to form the meatballs. 1 pound should yield 12 total meatballs.

Put the formed meatballs in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the sauce and rice.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan until just melted but not browned. Add the honey, soy sauce, white vinegar, ketchup, and sriracha sauce. Stir in the corn starch slurry and stir until the sauce begins to thicken and coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat a large sized skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the meatballs to the pan once preheated and cover.

Begin cooking the white rice with 2 cups of water and a few dashes of salt to simmer on low for 15 minutes while cooking the meatballs over med-low heat, turning occasionally, until quick probe reaches 160 degrees at the center of the largest meatball.

Cook about 15-20 minutes until quick probe reaches 160 degrees at the center of the largest meatball.

Prepare a serving dish with a layer of white rice topped with the meatballs, then the sweet and sour sauce, and garnish with fresh chopped chives.