½cupPanko bread crumbsfound in the Asian section of a grocery store
2large eggs
3green onionsminced (additional for garnish if desired)
2tsp.minced garlic
1heaping Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
2tsp.soy sauce
1tsp.sesame oil
1tsp.coarsely ground black pepper
½tsp.white pepper
For The Sauce
1 ¼cupswater divided
1 ½Tbsp.cornstarch
¼cupsoy sauce
¼cuppacked brown sugar
2tsp.fresh grated ginger
¼tsp.garlic powder
2-3Tbsp.honey
½tsp.coarsely ground black pepper
½cupdrained pineapple tidbits
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place a rack (such as a cookie cooling rack) on top of the paper. Spray well with non-stick spray and set aside.
Crumble the beef and pork into a large bowl.
Add the Panko, eggs, onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper and white pepper.
Use your hands to gently toss and combine the meat mixture just until it is well mixed. Do not over-mix as meatballs can become tough.
Use a 1 Tbsp size scoop to portion out the meat to make even sizes.
Tip: It works best to keep one hand clean and use it for the scoop. Spray the other hand with non-stick cooking spray and use it to form the balls.
Place the balls close together on the prepared rack.
Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until the meatballs have reached 160 F on an internal probe thermometer. The outsides will be lightly browned.
While the meatballs are baking make the sauce.
In a small bowl whisk together ¼ cup of the water with the corn starch. Set aside.
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat combine 1 cup of water, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, honey and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer whisking often.
When the sauce is simmering use a whisk to stir in the corn starch / water mixture. Whisk constantly for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened some and will coat a spoon.
Stir in the pineapple tidbits.
When the meatballs are done gently stir them into the sauce and then spoon the mixture into a serving bowl.
Enjoy hot. See note about leftovers
Notes
Note: Pineapple has a digestive enzyme in the fruit that causes it to break down meat. This makes it wonderful to serve with meat dishes but can be frustrating for leftovers. If I expect to have leftovers I serve the pineapple on the side instead of in the sauce - that way leftovers will not be destroyed by the pineapple.