Asian pork meatballs

Updated at: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 21:12:09 GMT

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 220?C (fan 200?C/gas mark 7).

Step 2

Put the pork mince, courgette, carrot and spring onions into a large bowl. Add the egg, garlic granules, onion granules and Chinese 5-spice and crumble in the pork stock cube. Mix well with clean hands until combined, then shape the pork mix into 16-20 x 2cm (3/4 in) diameter balls. (You can freeze them at this point if you like - defrost fully before cooking.)

Step 3

Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. You will need to cook the meatballs in two batches. When the pan has heated up, carefully place half the meatballs into it and spray the tops with some more low-calorie cooking spray. Fry for 5 minutes before gently turning them and frying for a further 5 minutes. The meatballs will be fragile until cooked through, so try not to touch them for the first 5 minutes as they are most likely to break apart at this point. If it seems like they are sticking, reduce the heat and add a splash of water to the pan. After another minute carefully try again.

Step 4

When the outside is cooked, the meat will have turned white and the meatballs will be firmer. Once the first batch is ready, place the meatballs in a large roasting dish. Repeat the process with the second batch. When these are cooked, place them in the roasting dish with the first batch and pour over the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasting dish in the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes. When the meatballs are ready, any liquid will have reduced, and they will be a darker brown colour and much firmer. (At this point, you could allow the meatballs to cool and freeze in an airtight container for reheating on another day.)

Step 5

Meanwhile, add the ketchup ingredients to a small saucepan, season with salt and pepper and simmer over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes until thickened. Remove the meatballs from the oven and serve with the ketchup for dipping. (The sauce can also be allowed to cool and frozen separately.)

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