6 thoughts on “Tonight’s Dinner: Asian Style Sweet Sour Meatballs”
This is outstanding but I feel you are spending way too much time cooking and eating your wonderful food but not writing your next book! I do so love “Dirty Kiss” !! Please take this advice, make a big batch and freeze it for later. Saves loads of time!
Really, take all the time you need to make the follow up book as terrific as your first.
Well right now, I’m at work-work so you’re taking me away from nothing mind-stimulating.
Gah, a recipe? Sheeesh. Aish. Okay… let’s try this. Shit, I don’t even measure. Oh, and you can make this in a crock pot.
Let’s say we’ve got 1 bag of meatballs. You can also make this using spareribs or pork chunks… or beef.
2 lbs of meat
1-2 cans pineapple chunks (packed in juice is fine, syrup is okay too but you’re going to use the juice so depends on how sweet you want it to be)
1 large daikon (sliced into half moons)
1 small bag baby carrots (can cut up or leave whole)
1 1/2 to 2 C Brown Sugar
1 C Vinegar (cider or white is fine)
1/2 C shoyu
Chili peppers to taste
Garlic, Ginger, Salt, Pepper
Brown the meat with garlic and ginger. Do this to taste. If you like lots, add lots.
(Here’s where you transfer to crock pot or you can simmer on stove)
Add brown sugar and vinegar and shoyu. Stir in vegetables and fruit with juice. Add chili peppers, salt and pepper. Taste it. If you want it more tart, add vinegar. More sweet, add brown sugar. Too sweet but tart enough, add some shoyu.
At this point, I add enough water to cover the meat. Let this simmer on the stove (or crock pot) for an hour or so. When meat is softened and daikon is translucent, carrots soft, etc. you can thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry. Just add water to cornstarch then slowly fold into sauce until it thickens.
Mahalo plenty. I’m going to try it this weekend! If successful, I’ll let you know. BTW, you cook like my husband…he opens the fridge, looks around and just “cooks”. No measuring. After 20 years, I am still amazed and surprised!
Oh, no worries. That’s pretty much how I cook. Sometimes I’ll start with a specific food in mind.. other times it’s a… let’s see what’s here and go from there.
The sweet sour is pretty much a Chinese Sweet Sour Spare Rib recipe. Some people put hoisin in it to give it a bit more punch or even oyster sauce if they want that milky dark flavour. Thickening the sauce is very key.
I kind of go by what I’m hungry for that evening :::grins::: Measuring is for the weak. :::laughs:::
This is outstanding but I feel you are spending way too much time cooking and eating your wonderful food but not writing your next book! I do so love “Dirty Kiss” !! Please take this advice, make a big batch and freeze it for later. Saves loads of time!
Really, take all the time you need to make the follow up book as terrific as your first.
Heh. You’re funny. Cooking actually helps me think on plots. That and for some reason, the shower. I have NO idea why.
I have Dirty Secret going. Promise. :::Grins::: Just laying out a murder right now.
Looks good! And at the risk of making Patricia mad as I take you away from writing…but do you have a recipe? For the sauce? Jar? 🙂
Well right now, I’m at work-work so you’re taking me away from nothing mind-stimulating.
Gah, a recipe? Sheeesh. Aish. Okay… let’s try this. Shit, I don’t even measure. Oh, and you can make this in a crock pot.
Let’s say we’ve got 1 bag of meatballs. You can also make this using spareribs or pork chunks… or beef.
2 lbs of meat
1-2 cans pineapple chunks (packed in juice is fine, syrup is okay too but you’re going to use the juice so depends on how sweet you want it to be)
1 large daikon (sliced into half moons)
1 small bag baby carrots (can cut up or leave whole)
1 1/2 to 2 C Brown Sugar
1 C Vinegar (cider or white is fine)
1/2 C shoyu
Chili peppers to taste
Garlic, Ginger, Salt, Pepper
Brown the meat with garlic and ginger. Do this to taste. If you like lots, add lots.
(Here’s where you transfer to crock pot or you can simmer on stove)
Add brown sugar and vinegar and shoyu. Stir in vegetables and fruit with juice. Add chili peppers, salt and pepper. Taste it. If you want it more tart, add vinegar. More sweet, add brown sugar. Too sweet but tart enough, add some shoyu.
At this point, I add enough water to cover the meat. Let this simmer on the stove (or crock pot) for an hour or so. When meat is softened and daikon is translucent, carrots soft, etc. you can thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry. Just add water to cornstarch then slowly fold into sauce until it thickens.
Serve over rice.
Mahalo plenty. I’m going to try it this weekend! If successful, I’ll let you know. BTW, you cook like my husband…he opens the fridge, looks around and just “cooks”. No measuring. After 20 years, I am still amazed and surprised!
Oh, no worries. That’s pretty much how I cook. Sometimes I’ll start with a specific food in mind.. other times it’s a… let’s see what’s here and go from there.
The sweet sour is pretty much a Chinese Sweet Sour Spare Rib recipe. Some people put hoisin in it to give it a bit more punch or even oyster sauce if they want that milky dark flavour. Thickening the sauce is very key.
I kind of go by what I’m hungry for that evening :::grins::: Measuring is for the weak. :::laughs:::