Sweet and Sour Meatballs

When I was growing up I lived in a country town, and the closest thing we got to ethnic food was the very Australian "Chinese" restaurant.  Despite loving (and being able to get) real Chinese food now, I still have huge nostalgia for the sweet and sour dishes we used to order, vividly red in colour, and so laden with MSG, fat and salt that I am surprised any of us made it out of the 80s in tact!

These Sweet and Sour Meatballs deliver all of that nostalgia, with none of the nasties! Served with rice and some stir fry veggies, these would make a complete meal, but they would also be great served with toothpicks for a retro spin on entertaining.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs:
1kg low fat beef mince

2 eggs
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (2 slices bread)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
1/4 cup milk

Sauce:
Juice from 2 x 440g tins pineapple pieces, pineapple reserved
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 red capsicum, diced

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Combine the meatball ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Shape into meatballs and place into a casserole dish in a single layer.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
5. While meatballs are cooking, combine sauce ingredients except for the capsicum and reserved pineapple in a small saucepan, and whisk over medium heat until sauce boils for 1 minute and sauce is thickened and glossy.
6. Add in reserved pineapple and capsicum, and pour over meatballs once they are done.
7. Bake for another 10 minutes, and then serve with steamed rice.

 





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