Pearl meatballs are renowned for their exquisite flavour and unique preparation method. What sets them apart is the crunch of the lotus root and creaminess of the glutinous rice. Both ingredients add a delightful textural contrast and infuse the dish with a subtle sweetness and richness.
Hubei-Style Pearl Meatballs
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes+ 12.5 hours standing time
- Total Time: 13.5 hours
Ingredients
¾ cup (175 mL) glutinous rice, see Tip*
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
12 dried bamboo leaves, see Tip**
1 lb (500 g) Lean Ground Beef Chuck, ice cold
3 oz (90 g) Beef Fat, finely diced, ice cold (about ¼ cup/60 mL packed)
3 tbsp (45 mL) minced gingerroot
2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch
1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1 mL) ground white pepper
¼ tsp (1 mL) MSG (optional)
1 egg
4 tsp (20 mL) light soy sauce
1 tsp (5 mL) EACH toasted sesame oil and Shaoxing wine
½ cup (125 mL) finely diced peeled fresh lotus root
½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped green onions, white and light green parts only
1½ tsp (7 mL) salt
To Serve (optional)
Light soy sauce
Chili oil
Instructions
- Place rice in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover. Swish it around with your hand and pour the water off. Repeat 3 or 4 times until the water is clear. Cover again with water; cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. Place mushrooms in a small bowl and add water to cover; cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. Place bamboo leaves in a shallow dish and add water to cover; cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
- Drain rice in a sieve and let drain while preparing remaining ingredients. Squeeze the water out of the mushrooms, reserving 2 tbsp (30 mL) soaking water; discard excess. Trim stems from the mushrooms; discard stems. Finely chop mushroom caps. Set mushrooms, reserved water and rice aside separately.
- Combine beef, beef fat, gingerroot, cornstarch, sugar, pepper, MSG (if using), egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, wine and reserved mushroom soaking water in a large bowl. Mix well and stir in one direction for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes pasty (see Tip*** for food processor method). Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, drain water from bamboo leaves in a colander and rinse. Drain again. Cut leaves crosswise into 4-inch (10 cm) lengthwise using scissors. Arrange leaves over bottoms of two 12-inch (30 cm) bamboo steaming baskets, overlapping as necessary.
- To set up for steaming, place one of the baskets in a 14- to 16-inch (35 to 40 cm) wok and add enough water to come up to the bottom edge of the basket without touching the steaming platform inside of the basket (this helps you measure the right amount of water). Remove the basket; set aside.
- Add reserved mushrooms, lotus root, green onions and salt to beef mixture. Mix well to thoroughly combine. Shape with moistened hands into twenty 1-inch (2.5 cm) meatballs. Spread out drained rice onto a plate. Roll each meatball in the rice, pressing to coat, and place in the lined steamer baskets, spacing them apart (it’s not necessary to coat the meatballs heavily in the rice as it will expand when cooked). Discard any excess rice.
- Stack the baskets in the wok and cover with steamer lid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Steam meatballs for 20 minutes or until a digital instant-read thermometer inserted into several meatballs reads 160°F (71°C). Remove the baskets from the wok and serve directly from the baskets with soy sauce and chili oil, as desired, for dipping.
Notes
Tips: *Glutinous rice, also known as sticky rice, is fully opaque and white when raw with none of the sheen or semi-transparency that non-glutinous rice has. It’s often confused with the rice used for making sushi but the two are completely different from one another.
**If bamboo leaves are not available, line steamer baskets with moistened parchment paper and spray paper with nonstick cooking spray.
***To use a food processor for step 3, combine the ingredients listed in Step 3, except the beef fat, in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowl until the mixture becomes pasty, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the beef fat.
