Glazed Meatballs with Sesame Seeds
East Asian Glazed Meatballs
I make meatballs in many ways. I use different meats and different tastes. But Asian style is my favorite. Asia is the largest continent in the world with many different cuisines. Besides the differences, all varieties of Asian foods share common features. Ingredients like ginger, garlic, chilies, soy and sesame seeds are used in almost all Asian cuisines. Cooking technics like steaming and stir frying are common also. Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian and Taiwanese cuisine are collectively known as East Asian cuisine. The flavor of my glazed meatballs reflects this part of the world. But how did the coconut amines get into the food?
Coconut Aminos, The Best Substitute of Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is a popular seasoning sauce in Asian Cuisine, but it’s not suitable for all diet plans.
When the diet demands to reduce the salt, avoid gluten or eliminate soy, coconut aminos is a good alternative.
Coconut aminos is savory seasoning sauce made from the fermented sap of coconut palm and sea salt. Coconut aminos is similar in color and consistency to light soy sauce, but it has a milder, sweeter flavor. Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like coconut!
Only one disadvantage of coconut aminos is significantly more expensive than traditional soy sauce. And its availability is limited in some regions, you can’t find it in all supermarkets. It could be a significant barrier for some people. But luckily, it’s possible to order coconut aminos online. If you follow the website or social media pages, you can see I like to use coconut aminos. It’s an important ingredient in some of my recipes.
Tapioca Flour Instead of Wheat Flour
Tapioca flour, or tapioca starch, is a popular, gluten-free flour made from the starch of cassava root. Tapioca Flour is one of the most versatile gluten free flours. This starchy flour is a staple in gluten free baking and a great thickener in soups, sauces and some cake batter and fillings. It’s a paleo diet favorite as well as one of the main ingredients for the famous and super delicious Brazilian pao de queijo. You can find its recipe on the site also.
Craving Asian:
Glazed Meatballs with Sesame Seeds
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 500 gram Half pork and half beef minced
- 1 egg beaten
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp dry sherry
- 2 spring onion finely cut
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp tapioca flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper freshly ground
- 100 ml hazelnut oil
For the glaze
- 150 ml chicken stock
- 80 ml ketchup bio
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp tapioca flour
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- pinch salt and pepper
- chopped coriander leaves to the top
Instructions
- Put pork and beef minced meat, egg, garlic, ginger, coconut aminos, dry sherry, spring onion, sesame oil, salt and pepper into large bowl and combine them by hand.
- Shape balls from the mixture. The ball-size is between the golf ball and tennis ball.
- Heat the hazelnut oil in a big frying pan on medium high heat.
- Place meatballs in the frying pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown all over.
- Mix chicken stock, ketchup, coconut aminos and honey in a bowl then pour over the meatballs with it. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the balls for 3-4 minutes, stir frequently. Careful, don’t break the balls!
- Mix 3 tbsp water and 1 tbsp tapioca flour in a small bowl, then pour to the meatballs. Stir frequently, until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Sprinkle the meatballs with 2 tbsp sesame seeds and chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve with salad or rice. Enjoy!