It’s hard to believe, but apparently we’re already in back to school mode. And that means easy dinners that will bring everyone to the table. These Teriyaki Meatballs really fit the bill. A juicy and tender mixture of pork and beef with a yummy teriyaki glaze-what’s not to love? Getting back into the early morning groove can be a struggle, but dinner doesn’t have to be…

First Make the Sauce for Teriyaki Meatballs

This is a super simple sauce, using dependable pantry staples like soy sauce, mirin, and sake. I like my teriyaki sauces to have a balance of sweet and savory. It’s not super sweet. You can adjust the sweetness later on if you find it not sweet enough. Just measure out the ingredients into a cup or bowl and mix well. Done, easy peasy. Then set it aside by the stove while you get the meatballs going.

Make the Teriyaki Meatballs

This is a very straightforward meatball recipe. Just mix everything in a bowl, shape, and cook. No need to over complicate things while we’re getting our bearings in a post summer vacation world. I like to use a combination of pork (for softness) and beef (for flavor), but you could use ground turkey or chicken too.

I use an ice cream scoop to portion out the meatballs but it’s not critical. Once you have them portioned, I like to roll them gently to smooth out the surface. Once the meatballs are shaped, it’s time to cook them. I like to use a nonstick skillet for these but a well seasoned cast iron would work well too.

The “secret” to these luscious meatballs is to sear them for a couple of minutes on the outside and then gently braise them in the sauce to finish cooking them. Searing first gives a nice color and crust to your meatballs. The braise helps to improve juiciness and tenderness, but it also gives the meatballs time to absorb some of the sauce, which packs in more flavor.

Garnish with sesame seeds and minced scallions and the Teriyaki Meatballs are ready to be devoured! We love them over some steamed rice to soak up the delicious sauce, with maybe a simple green vegetable like this broccoli dish to round it out. These would be excellent alongside Spicy Garlic Noodles too.

Make these this week and let me know what you think. Comment on the recipe below and tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen; we love hearing from you!

Teriyaki Meatballs

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: serves 4
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Japanese

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Ingredients

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Sauce:

• 1 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• ¼ cup mirin
• 1 Tablespoons sake
• 2 cloves garlic smashed
• 1 piece of ginger (the size of a quarter) peeled and smashed

Meatballs:

• ½ pound ground beef
• ½ pound ground pork
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 scallions, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper 
• 1 Tablespoon neutral oil 

Garnish:

• Minced scallions
• Toasted sesame seeds

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Instructions

1. Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a cup. Stir to dissolve sugar and set aside. 
2. Combine the ground pork, ground beef, egg, panko, scallions, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, salt and white pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well.
3. Form into 1 ½ Tablespoon meatballs (I used a scoop and yielded 13) and place them onto a plate or baking sheet.
4. Heat a large 12” skillet over medium high heat for several minutes.
5. Add the oil and swirl to coat the skillet. Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes until browned. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes to brown the other side. 
6. Add the sauce to the skillet. Cover the pan with a lid and lower heat to medium low. Cook for 7-9 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through (you can cut into one to check if you’re unsure).
7. Transfer the meatballs to a serving dish. Raise the heat to medium high and reduce the sauce for 1-2 minutes until syrupy. Pour the sauce over the meatballs.
8. Garnish teriyaki meatballs with scallion and sesame seeds, and serve immediately. 

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Keywords: meatballs, back to school, japanese, teriyaki

Tis the season to treat yourself and loved ones to a special occasion meal. These Braised Short Ribs look so impressive and are so full of rich, wintry flavors-like oranges and a sweet hoisin sauce- that your guests will have no idea they took only 20 minutes of hands on time. They taste even better the next day, making them ideal for a carefree dinner party. Beef is a bit pricey these days, but it’s the holidays, so let’s splurge together!

Secrets to a Great Braise

Braising is an easy way to coax tender flavor from tougher cuts of meat, but there are some secrets to creating a really great braise:

• using a heavy pot or dutch oven that maintains a steady heat
• getting a good sear on all sides of the meat; don’t overcrowd the pan and don’t rush this step
• deglazing the pan to get all those yummy browned bits into the sauce
• using deeply flavorful liquids to create a rich sauce
• adding aromatics like ginger, orange zest, cinnamon sticks really amps up the flavor

Sear the Short Ribs

I start making braised short ribs by getting a really good sear on all sides of the short ribs. A proper sear adds so much flavor, both to the meat itself and the sauce. Plus it makes the meat an attractive bronzed color. Sear the ribs in batches. Too many at once causes steam that prevents the nice brown crust we are looking for.

When all the ribs are seared, keep them in a bowl and heat more oil in the same pot. Now we sauté all the aromatics to make an umami rich sauce for the short ribs.

And at this point, all the hands on work is done, and we let time and low heat work their magic. After about an hour and a half, the meat should be fork tender. If not let it go for another 15-20 minutes. The sauce will be dark and glossy and so fragrant! I like to add some fresh orange zest curls as a garnish.

This lusty dish deserves some equally sexy costars:

• My Ginger Saketinis are the perfect adult beverage pairing
• Mushroom Dumplings for a fun starter
• Miso Maple Squash is a wonderfully seasonal side
• Vanilla Poached Fruit rounds out this stress free, largely make ahead, meal

Give these delectable Braised Short Ribs a try and let me know what you think. Rate and leave a comment, and tag us in your holiday feasts @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!

Braised Short Ribs

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: serves 6-8 1x
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Pan-Asian

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Ingredients

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• 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs (also known as boneless flanken short ribs or boneless chuck short ribs)
• 3 Tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 large onion, sliced 
• 2 inch piece of ginger, sliced
• 2 dried arbol chiles
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise

Sauce:

• ½ cup hoisin sauce
• ½ cup ketchup
• ½ cup oyster sauce
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup mirin
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

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Instructions

1. Trim the beef of any thick exterior fat and gristle. Cut the beef into 3-4 pieces. Set aside.
2. Heat a dutch oven or deep heavy skillet over medium high heat for several minutes. Add 1 Tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the pot. 
3. Add half of the beef to the pan, making sure the beef pieces do not touch and you are not crowding the pan.
4. Cook the beef for 1-2 minutes untouched so that there is a nice dark brown sear. Turn the beef onto another side and again cook for 1-2 minutes. Repeat this for at least 1-2 more sides making sure each side has a good dark crust. Do not rush.
5. Set the beef aside in a bowl and repeat with the remaining beef.
6. Add the final tablespoon of oil to the pot and add the onions, ginger, garlic cloves, and chiles. Saute for 1 minute and then add the cinnamon stick and star anise. Continue cooking for another minute. 
7. Peel the zest off of the orange, excluding as much of the bitter white pith as possible.
8. Wrap the onion and garlic spice mixture along with the orange peel in a piece of cheesecloth about 12” x 16” and tie it to close. 
9. Put the beef back into the pan along with any accumulated juices and put the cheesecloth pouch on top. 
10. Add the sauce and water to the pot. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium high heat and stir to blend all of the sauce ingredients, scraping the bottom to get all of the browned bits.
11. Then cover the pot with a lid and lower the heat to medium low.
12. Cook for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Use a fork to check the beef. It should slide into the beef easily. If not, then cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.
13. Transfer the meat to a large platter. Turn the heat up to medium high and reduce the sauce for 5-10 minutes until it is thick and syrupy. Pour the sauce over the meat.
14. Serve immediately.

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Notes

*Like all braised dishes, this beef is even better on the second day. Leftovers keep in the fridge for several days. You can also freeze leftovers. Defrost in the fridge overnight and then warm over medium heat for 8-10 minutes.   

Keywords: beef, short ribs, hoisin sauce, holiday meals, braise