Japanese Meatballs With Ponzu Glaze Recipes

JAPANESE MEATBALLS WITH PONZU GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil, and lightly oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the meatballs: Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil, then add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mushrooms start to become golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic, and sauté for another minute, until you can smell the ginger and garlic. Add the sherry and sesame oil, stir to scrap up any bits left on the bottom of the pan, and sauté for about 2 minutes until the liquid evaporates. Allow the mushroom mixture to cool.
• Finely chop the cooled mushrooms in a food processor or by hand. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, chicken, pork, Panko, pepper, salt, scallions, and eggs. Use your hands to combine the mixture gently but thoroughly. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs (you will have between 50 and 60).
• Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 15 minutes, until almost cooked through.
• Make the Glaze: While the meatballs bake, in a small saucepan combine the mirin, soy sauce, Ponzu, brown sugar, ginger and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, then lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer until it reduces and thickens slightly into a glaze, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove the meatballs from the oven and brush the glaze over the meatballs. Return the meatballs to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes until the glaze caramelizes a bit. If you want to finish them for 1 minute under the broiler, to get an even more browned exterior, you can go ahead and do that, but watch that they do not burn.
• Transfer the cooked meatballs to a serving platter and sprinkle over the remaining glaze. Scatter the sesame seeds and slivered scallions over the meatballs if desired. Serve with skewers or toothpicks.

GLAZED JAPANESE CHICKEN MEATBALLS ON SKEWERS

Steps:

• For the sauce:
• In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, sake, sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil over high heat until thickened to a glaze, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season with a fresh splash of vinegar, if you like.
• For the meatballs:
• Preheat the grill for at least 10 minutes, preparing to grill over moderately high heat, and soak 8 double-pronged bamboo skewers or 16 single skewers in water.
• In a bowl, use your hands to mix together all of the ingredients except for the sesame seeds and scallion greens.
• Form the meat mixture into 16 meatballs. Thread the meatballs onto the skewers, leaving just a little space in between and flatten slightly.
• Oil the grates well and grill the meatball skewers until light grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and grill for 2 minutes longer, until the outside of the meatballs looks cooked.
• Brush the sauce over the meatballs, flip and brush the other side. Flip them and brush them with the sauce constantly for about 1 minute, until glazed and cooked through. If the sauce darkens too quickly, reduce the heat or move the skewers to a cooler part of the grill.
• To serve:
• Transfer the skewers to a platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Serve over rice, if desired.