Some recipes don’t need a lot of fuss, such as this one. The sauce really makes the dish and it works for a quick and easy dinner for those busy weeknights. The meatballs can be made ahead of time and heated up when ready to mix with the sauce.
Sticky Asian Meatballs with Udon Noodles
(Adapted from Pure Wow)
Meatballs
Nonstick spray
1 pound ground pork
½ cup bread crumbs
1 bunch scallions, minced
1 large egg
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 teaspoons sriracha
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
½ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sriracha
Noodles
8 ounces udon noodles
1 carrot, peeled
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
Sesame seeds, for serving
MAKE THE MEATBALLS: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, mix together the pork, bread crumbs, scallions, egg, garlic, ginger, sriracha, soy sauce, salt and pepper.
Form the mixture into 2-inch balls and place onto the baking sheet.
Bake until the meatballs are fully cooked, 17 to 20 minutes.
MAKE THE SAUCE: While the meatballs cook, heat the sesame oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce and sriracha; bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low heat. When the meatballs are finished cooking, add them to the pot and stir until they are well coated in the sauce.
MAKE THE NOODLES: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to packaging instructions. Drain well.
To serve, place the noodles on a serving platter and top with the meatballs. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrot lengthwise into long strips, then roll them into curls. Garnish the platter with scallions, sesame seeds and carrot curls.
