Sweet and sour meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Here comes the rainy days, here comes August. In the Philippines, the month of August is usually composed of rainy days or a combination of fair mornings and wet afternoons. It is also a month when typhoons bombard the country from all direction. But since it is El Nino season, the weather now is mostly warm and fair. During the wet days, you may want to eat soups, stews and hot dishes. But during warm days, you can enjoy any dish that you like. 

There always comes a time when you just can’t satisfy your sweet tooth by just eating desserts. Here is the answer to your sweet cravings. It is a balance of sweetness and sourness all packed in a savory dish. It is very simple and easy to prepare. Here’s how:

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

For the meat balls:

1/2 kilo of ground pork, washed and strained

A teaspoon of all-purpose seasoning

Two large white or red onions, minced (red onions are more flavorful, in my opinion)

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (to be used as a binder)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking oil

*you can also add minced boiled carrots if you want to add veggies

For the sweet and sour sauce:

A tablespoon of cooking oil

One medium onion, chopped

Three cloves garlic, minced

Two red bell peppers, seeded and jullienned

Two tablespoons of banana catsup

Three tablespoon of white sugar

Two tablespoons of white vinegar

 Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of water

A tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in water

How To Make:

For the meatballs:Β

First, mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix using your hand until well incorporated and form into balls of your desired size.

Heat some cooking oil in a skillet. Deep fry the meat balls until cooked. Strain the excess oil and set aside.

For the sauce:

Heat the cooking oil in a sauce pan.

Saute the garlic, onions and bell peppers.

Put the water, vinegar and catsup. Bring to a boil.

Add the sugar, salt and pepper. Adjust according to your taste preference.

Add the cornstarch.

Simmer until you achieve desired thickness.

Put the meatballs into the sauce and simmer for a few minutes to let the flavor sit.

Serve with rice.

Enjoy!