Chinese sweet and sour meatballs

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g minced meat, mixed
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 pinch of garlic powder
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tbsp wheat flour
• salt and pepper
• n. B. Oil
• 1 small bell pepper(s), red
• 1 small bell pepper(s), green
• 1 carrot(s)
• 1 handful of sugar snap peas
• 6 small cocktail tomatoes
• 4 slices of pineapple (can)
• 1 shot of pineapple juice (large shot, can)
• 250 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, dark
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, sweet
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp, heaped cornstarch
• e.g. chili

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

works particularly well in a wok

Knead the ground meat, soy sauce, garlic powder, and a little salt and pepper thoroughly. Form small balls (about the size of a walnut), then flatten them slightly. Mix the egg and flour with a little salt and pepper to form a smooth batter (you can also use 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of flour if you prefer a bit more batter). Let the batter and meat rest for a while, while you prepare the vegetables. Wash the bell peppers and cut them into bite-sized pieces or strips. Peel the carrots and cut them into very thin slices or strips (I peel strips with a vegetable peeler and then cut them in half). Wash the snow peas and cut them diagonally once. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Cut the pineapple slices into bite-sized pieces (of course, you can also use canned pineapple chunks), reserving the juice. Heat oil in a wok or deep frying pan until it reaches about 1 cm deep. It’s best to dip the meatballs individually in the batter, let them drain slightly, and fry in batches until golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside. Note: the batter shouldn’t be too thick; it should only coat the meat with a thin layer. It’s best if a flower of batter forms at the bottom of the meatball when first seared. Drain off any excess oil. In a wok, a film of oil is sufficient. Now fry the bell pepper, snow peas, and carrot over high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add a little salt (this helps keep the color nice). Then add the tomatoes and pineapple pieces and fry briefly. Deglaze with a generous splash of pineapple juice and reduce until a syrupy sauce forms. Whisk the stock with the remaining ingredients and add to the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens. This goes pretty quickly. If it’s too thick, thin with pineapple juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then stir in the meatballs and let them simmer for a short while. Serve with rice. If you’re using fresh pineapple and don’t have pineapple juice on hand, you can also deglaze the vegetables with the stock mixture. However, you may need a little more sugar and vinegar for a more sweet and sour flavor.