Sweet & Sour Pork Balls

If you don’t have your own mincer, you may need to order the minced pork a few days in advance form your butcher. I like to start the pork balls in a frying pan to get them a little crispy.

Ingredients

• 450 grams(1 lb) lean pork minced
• 75 grams (3 oz) fine breadcrumbs
• I large onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of cornflour blended in 4 tablspoons cold water
• 3 tablepoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 450 ml (1 pint) vegetable stock
• 1 tin of water chestnuts- cut in slices or leave whole
• 1 cup of beansprouts
• 2 carrots cut lengthways into 7cm(3inch) strips.

Preparation

1. Mix the bread crumbs and pork together along with 1 tablespoon very finely chopped onion and 1/2 the crushed garlic and 1 teaspoon of five spice. Add salt and pepper to season and mix all ingredients well.
2. Form the pork mixture into little balls and leave on a plate
3. In a heavy based pan heat the oil and add the pork balls to cook. Turn regularly and do not burn. After 10 minutes remove from the oil and leave aside on a plate.
4. Heat oil in a casserole pot or heavy based saucepan. Add the remainder of oinion and garlic and cook gently for a couple of minute. Add back in the pork balls. Add the stock and then the blended corn flour stirring all the time as the sauce cooks and thickens. Stir in the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar.
5. Add in the water chestnuts and carrots and cook for 20 minutes.
6. Add bean sprouts and cook for a further 15 minutes .Season with salt and pepper

Serving suggestions

Serve with rice or noodles. Serve a fruit like sliced mango on the side.