- 2 cups of Japanese sushi rice- short grain rice
- 2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp. of Chinese five spice- optional
- 1 Lb. of ground pork- preferably ground from the butt, but not too lean
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup of cornstarch, sifted
- 3 Tbsp. of soy sauce
- 1/2 cup of finely grated carrots
- To taste salt and black pepper
- As needed your favorite dipping sauce (apricot duck, sweet chile, Asian BBQ, hoisin, etc)
Place the rice in a bowl, add cold water, agitate, and pour out the milky looking water. Repeat until the water runs clear.
Add enough cold water to cover the rice and let soak 1 hour at room temperature. Drain very well and place rice in a wide casserole dish and spread out until an even layer. Reserve.
While rice is soaking, prepare meat mixture.
Heat a sauté pan, add vegetable oil and add the onion. Cook stirring for about 30 seconds until very aromatic. Add the Chinese five spice, cook for 10 seconds. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Place ground pork in bowl, add the egg, cornstarch, and the cooled onion mixture, soy sauce, grated carrot seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
To check flavor, fry a very thin, small patty until cooked through. Adjust as necessary.
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Using a small truffle scoop or heaping teaspoon measure, scoop the meat and gently round with your hands.
Gently roll each meatball in the rice to allow the rice to stick only to the exterior of the meatball.
Place dumplings in a steamer set up with enough water so it does not touch the meat, but not so little that it will not boil dry during the steaming.
Cover tightly and steam over moderately boiling water for about 20 minutes. Uncover carefully, place a toothpick in each meatball, and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
This recipe makes about 25 Hors D'Oeuvres.
