Description
Bright peppers, carrots, and a zingy sauce make these beef balls burst with flavor. A recipe that’s weeknight easy but restaurant worthy.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Beef Balls
- 500 g lean beef mince
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup cabbage, grated
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- Small handful of fresh basil, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2-3 tbsp oil for frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, julienne
- 1/2 cup carrots, julienne
- 1 red bell pepper, julienne
- 1 yellow bell pepper, julienne
- 1 large onion, sliced into thin strips
- 1 tsp Annatto powder***, soaked in 1 tsp water (for colour)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry, optional for thickening)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the carrots, cabbage, onion, garlic, and basil into a food processor. Blitz until finely chopped.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the beef mince, eggs, breadcrumbs, and flour.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix well until everything is combined.
- The mixture should be firm enough to hold shape; if it feels too wet, add a little more breadcrumbs.
- Shape spoonfuls of the mixture into balls, about the size of a golf ball. Place them on a tray.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the beef balls in batches, frying for 4–5 minutes until browned on all sides. They don’t need to be fully cooked through at this stage.
- Transfer the browned beef balls to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
- In a large saucepan or wok, combine the vinegar, ginger, julienne carrots, peppers, onion, Annatto mixture ***, brown sugar, and water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 8–10 minutes until the vegetables soften slightly and the sauce thickens.
- If you prefer a thicker glaze, stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1–2 minutes more until glossy.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the fried beef balls into the sauce and stir gently until well coated.
- Simmer together for 3–5 minutes to finish cooking the beef balls through.
- Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice or noodles.
- Sprinkle with extra fresh basil or chopped spring onion for freshness.
- Add a few pineapple chunks for a tropical twist.
- Great as a main dish or serve smaller beef balls as an appetizer with toothpicks.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently on the stove top with a splash of water.
- Freeze beef balls separately (before adding sauce) for up to 1 month.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Joy
