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Pork Meatballs with Ginger and Patis

These Pork Meatballs with Ginger and Patis are filled with familiar flavors Filipinos love. It was one of the easiest meatball recipes I cooked. Use lean ground pork and mix in minced ginger, onions, garlic, patis (fish sauce), and seasonings. Bind it all together with crushed Ritz crackers. I plated the cooked meatballs on a bed of crisp, blanched snow peas, also known as 'sitsaro' to Filipinos. It was a delightful entree. This was inspired by a recipe from the New York Times Cooking section. Serves 2 to 4.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time14 minutes
Total Time1 hour 14 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino
Keyword: Pork Meatballs Ginger Patis
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 121kcal
Author: Asian in America

Equipment

  • large skillet or wok

Ingredients

For the pork meatballs:

  • 1 pound lean ground pork
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger, from a knob of a 1-inch piece, peeled, chopped fine and mince.
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 whole medium-sized onion, chopped fine
  • 1 Tablespoon patis (fish sauce)
  • 1 whole large egg
  • 1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers (regular variety) about 10 to 12 whole crackers
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

For vegetables:

  • 500 grams snow peas, edges trimmed
  • 1 Tablespoon thick soy sauce

For serving:

  • steamed rice
  • fresh lemon slices for garnish
  • 2 stalks scallions, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

To cook the pork meatballs:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork with the rest of the ingredients, except for the vegetable oil. Mix well.
    Shape the pork mixture into meatballs, 1-inch in diameter. Place the meatballs on a tray or large plate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up before cooking.
  • In a large skillet or wok, over medium-high heat, add the oil. When oil is hot enough after 1 to 2 minutes, drop the meatballs into the skillet. Pan fry the meatballs for about 10 to 12 minutes or till completely cooked.
    Using a turner or slotted spoon, turn the meatballs around once for even cooking.
    When meatballs are cooked, drain on paper towels or parchment paper to remove excess grease.

To cook the vegetables:

  • In a medium-sized stockpot filled with boiling water, blanch the snap peas for 1 to 2 minutes.
    Remove the snow peas from the boiling water. Soak them in an ice bath (bowl filled with iced water) for 5 minutes. Drain liquid. Transfer snow peas to a bowl.
    Pour the thick soy sauce over the vegetables. Blend well till all the snow peas are coated with the soy sauce.

To plate the dish:

  • On a serving platter, lay the snow peas at the bottom in a single layer.
    Place the cooked pork meatballs over the snow peas.
    Garnish with chopped scallions and sliced lemons for sprinkling on the meatballs. Serve warm with rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g