Name: Pearl Balls
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 cup sweet glutinous rice; 1 pound ground pork (use one with a higher fat content); 2 scallions minced; 1 large egg; 6 water chestnuts (I used canned); 2 cloves garlic minced; 2 Tablespoons Shaoxing wine; 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup sweet glutinous rice
1 pound ground pork (use one with a higher fat content)
2 scallions minced
1 large egg
6 water chestnuts (I used canned)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

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Instructions

Soak the sweet rice overnight in a bowl of water. (Make sure you have triple the amount of water as the rice will expand as it soaks in the water). Drain and set aside.
Peel the water chestnuts with a knife (if using fresh) and then chop them fine. Put the chestnuts in a bowl and add the ground pork, scallions, egg, garlic, shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, salt, and ground pepper.
Aggressively mix to combine, slapping the meat around in the bowl until the texture changes and becomes kind of pasty and sticky.
Use a 1 ½ Tablespoon scoop and portion out the filling. You will yield approximately 24 pieces.
Then roll the meat balls gently on the rice, trying to get every part covered with the rice.
Set up a double boiler or a steamer insert for your pearl balls. Lay a piece of cheesecloth, paper towel, or a dumpling cloth over the steamer insert so no bits can fall through the holes.
Set the pearl balls on a piece of cheesecloth or dumpling cloth (as many as can comfortably fit without touching).
Bring the pot of water to a boil on high heat. When the water starts boiling, place the steamer insert on top of the boiling water and cover with a lid. Steam for 18-20 minutes until the pork is cooked through and the rice is translucent and shiny.
Continue steaming pearl balls in the same way until they are all cooked. Serve immediately.

Notes

*Because the pearl balls take a while to cook, it is a good idea to cook a batch and get another batch going before serving. This way you have some hot and ready to eat while more are cooking.

*Leftovers can be stored for several days in the fridge. Gently microwave for a couple of minutes with a damp paper towel on top.

Keywords: pearl balls, rice balls, holiday, pork,