Pearl Balls Recipe

Ingredients

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• 3/4 cup glutinous rice (also called sweet or sticky rice, available at Chinese or Asian markets) shopping list
• 1 pound pork or ground pork shopping list
• 1 large green onion (spring onion) minced (at least 3 tablespoons) shopping list
• 2 water chestnuts, minced shopping list
• 1 large egg white shopping list
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce shopping list
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry shopping list
• 1 teaspoon salt shopping list
• black pepper, to taste shopping list
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch, or as needed shopping list
• Preparation: shopping list
• 1. Soak the glutinous rice in water for at least 6 - 8 hours (preferably overnight). Drain well in a sieve or colander. Spread out the rice on a baking sheet. Note: Drain and spread out the rice just before making the pearl balls, so that the rice doesn't dry out too much. shopping list
• 2. Mince or grind the pork if not using ground pork. shopping list
• 3. In a large bowl, combine the pork, soy sauce, sherry, green onion, water chestnuts, salt, pepper, egg white and cornstarch. shopping list
• 4. Prepare the steamer for steaming. shopping list
• 5. Take about 1 tablespoon of the ground pork mixture and form into a ball. roll lightly over the glutinous rice and place on a heatproof plate. Continue with the rest of the pork mixture, placing the balls 1/2-inch apart. (You will need at least 2 plates). 6. Place the plates in a steamer container or on a bamboo basket in a wok. Cover and steam the pearl balls over boiling water for between 25 - 35 minutes, until they are cooked through. Steam in two batches if needed. shopping list
• 7. Serve the pearl balls hot with soy sauce. shopping list
• Variation: shopping list
• Add a few softened Chinese black mushrooms and/or minced ginger to the pork mixture. shopping list