Pearl Meatballs (Sticky Rice-Coated Pork Meatballs)
老人 小孩都爱吃的珍珠丸子 · pan chinese cuisine
The author prefers making these at home because store-bought versions never taste as fresh. Using freshly ground pork makes the filling especially flavorful.
Carl BrennanDivorced dad of two, learning to cook for real at 47. Kids rate everything out of 10 and honestly it's great feedback. Current specialty: taco night, all versions.Nutrition & allergens
No supported allergens detected from surveyed ingredients.
Per serving (4 servings)
- Energy (kcal)
- 415.3(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Protein (g)
- 18.9(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Fat (g)
- 37.6(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Carbs (g)
- 0.3(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Sodium (mg)
- 71.3(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.
pork belly五花肉
17.64 oz
salt盐
to taste
mSG味精
to taste
scallion葱花
1.0 stalk
5.0 slice
Techniques you'll use
- Steaming ↗
Cook with moist vapor for tender, clean-tasting results.
Steps
- 1
Step 1
Rinse the glutinous rice, soak it for 15 minutes, drain off the water, and let it sit for at least 3 hours. After a few hours the rice will swell and dry out.
✅ Done when: The rice grains have visibly swelled after resting at least 3 hours.
- 2
Step 2
Cut the pork belly into chunks with a mix of fatty and lean pieces, leaning toward more lean meat. Peel the ginger and cut it into chunks.
✅ Done when: The pork and ginger are cut into evenly sized chunks.
- 3
Step 3
Grind the pork and ginger together into a fine mince using a meat grinder.
✅ Done when: The pork and ginger are fully ground into a uniform paste.
- 4
Step 4
Add a little salt and MSG to the ground meat and keep mixing — season it the way you would season dumpling filling.
✅ Done when: The seasoning is evenly incorporated and the mixture tastes like seasoned dumpling filling.
- 5
Step 5
Add 1 tablespoon of starch and 1 teaspoon of water and mix. Do not make the mixture too thin; adjust the water and starch based on your filling — a little extra starch is fine.
✅ Done when: The filling holds together and is thick enough to shape, not runny.
- 6
Step 6
Shape the filling into meatballs and drop them into the glutinous rice. Gently shake the bowl a few times so the rice coats each ball evenly.
✅ Done when: Each meatball is evenly coated with rice grains.
- 7
Step 7
Take the coated meatballs out, roll them round between your hands, and arrange them on a plate. Do not let them pick up too much rice.
✅ Done when: The meatballs are neatly rounded and arranged on the plate with a light, even rice coating.
Make sure the filling is not too thin, or the meatballs will lose their shape. Steam over high heat for about 20 minutes.
✅ Done when: After about 20 minutes of steaming, the rice is translucent and the meatballs are cooked through.
- 9
Step 9
After steaming, sprinkle with chopped scallions. A lot of oil will have rendered out; you can pour it off.
✅ Done when: The meatballs are topped with scallions and excess oil has been poured off.
If you have a nice little steamer basket, these look great when serving guests. You can also make them ahead, refrigerate them, and re-steam at mealtime to save time.
✅ Done when: The meatballs are heated through when re-steamed before serving.
- 11
Step 11
One pound of pork makes about two plates of pearl meatballs.
✅ Done when: The finished meatballs fill roughly two plates.