Satisfy your meat cravings with a batch of easy-to-make ankake meatballs. Bite-size pieces of juicy, seasoned pork mince, topped with a thick, luscious sweet and sour ankake sauce, these meatballs are guaranteed to be a winner whether they are added to a bento lunch or eaten as a snack during a movie night in. Why not also try this delicious ankake sauce with tofu, in a yaki udon stir fry, or mixed into fried rice?
| Preparation | Cooking | Servings |
| 20 min | 10 min | 3 – 4 |
Ankake Meatballs, or Niku Dango in Japanese, are tender pork meatballs enveloped in a glossy, sweet vinegar ankake sauce. This comforting dish is a staple in Japanese cuisine, often featured in bento boxes or served as a hearty dinner.
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
For the sauce:
Way of preparation
Step 1
Mix the ingredients: In a large bowl, break up 400g pork mince. Next, add the salt and mix in well. Then mix in 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/3 tsp ginger and 1.5 tsp cooking sake, followed by the egg.
Step 2
Add the starch powder: Keep mixing until the pork starts to become a thick paste, but don’t worry if your meatballs are a little bit gloppy at this point. Next, quickly stir in 1 tbsp katakuriko starch powder.
Step 3
Shape the meatballs: Lightly oil your hands to prevent the pork from sticking when you mould your meatballs. Using a spoon scoop out roughly tbsp sized portions of the pork mixture and form into meatball shapes.
Step 4
Fry the meatballs: In a sturdy pan heat some oil until it reaches about 170°C. Fry the meatballs in the oil, rotating them after approx. 20-30 seconds to make sure they are evenly cooked. Fry until the oil reaches 185°C and the meatballs have turned golden brown.
Step 5
Prepare the sauce: In a wok add all the ingredients for the sweet and sour ankake sauce, except the katakuriko starch powder. Mix the katakuriko with 1/2 tbsp of water, then add to the wok.
Step 6
Add the meatballs in the wok: While mixing the sauce, heat the wok over a medium flame until it has started to thicken. Next, add the meatballs and a splash of sesame oil, making sure the meatballs are evenly covered with sauce.
Step 7
Garnish and serve: Serve your meatballs and garnish with the shredded spring onion, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a few sprigs of coriander.