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Steamed Yam and Pork Meatballs
This dish offers a delightful blend of tender pork meatballs filled with sweet Chinese yam giving them a soft creamy texture while light soy sauce adds a savory depth that makes every bite wonderfully balanced and satisfying. A delicious Steamed Yam and Pork Meatballs recipe.
- Prep
- 18m
- Cook
- 30m
- Total
- 48m
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- 1/5
- Cuisine
- Chinese
IngredientsWhat you'll need for Steamed Yam and Pork Meatballs
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| ground pork (about 30% fat, 70% lean) | about 400g |
| Chinese yam | 1 as needed |
| cornstarch | 2-3 |
| soy sauce | 2-3 |
- ground pork (about 30% fat, 70% lean)about 400g
- Chinese yam1 as needed
- cornstarch2-3
- soy sauce2-3
Cooking StepsHow to cook Steamed Yam and Pork Meatballs step by step
-
Step 1Peel the yam. Wear gloves while peeling — the sticky sap will make your hands uncomfortably itchy otherwise.
-
Step 2Cut the yam into small pieces, then smash them with the flat side of your knife. Smash until it becomes a sticky, mushy paste with varying chunk sizes — this uneven texture gives the meatballs a great mouthfeel.
-
Step 3Place the ground pork and smashed yam in a bowl. Add cooking wine — about 2 spoonfuls (roughly 7–8 ml per spoon in my kitchen). Adjust to your taste; you’ll find your sweet spot after making this a few times.
-
Step 4Add soy sauce, about 3 spoonfuls. Go easy on the wine and soy sauce — too much will overpower the natural flavor of the pork.
-
Step 5Add cornstarch. Some people add a lot to help the meatballs hold their shape, but for home cooking I prefer less — taste matters more than looks.
-
Step 6Stir the filling clockwise until it becomes sticky and cohesive.
-
Step 7Choose a nice plate (I always use the same one — makes it easier to gauge portions). Add 1 spoonful of soy sauce to the plate and dilute with water. You can also add shredded ginger, scallion, or a splash of cooking wine to the plate — up to you.
-
Step 8Shape the filling into balls. With less starch they won’t hold a perfect round shape, but that’s fine — roughly shaped works. I usually make 6 meatballs per batch.
-
Step 9Steam over boiling water for 20 minutes once steam rises. A few extra minutes (23–25 min) is fine too, depending on the depth of your plate and size of the meatballs. Garnish with chopped scallions. The pork is fragrant, the yam adds a lovely chunky texture — serve over rice and it’s unbeatable.
Steamed Yam and Pork Meatballs
This dish offers a delightful blend of tender pork meatballs filled with sweet Chinese yam giving them a soft creamy texture while light soy sauce adds a savory depth that makes every bite wonderfully balanced and satisfying. A delicious Steamed Yam and Pork Meatballs recipe.
Ingredients
- about 400g ground pork (about 30% fat, 70% lean)
- 1 as needed Chinese yam
- 2-3 cornstarch
- 2-3 soy sauce
Instructions
-
Peel the yam. Wear gloves while peeling — the sticky sap will make your hands uncomfortably itchy otherwise.
-
Cut the yam into small pieces, then smash them with the flat side of your knife. Smash until it becomes a sticky, mushy paste with varying chunk sizes — this uneven texture gives the meatballs a great mouthfeel.
-
Place the ground pork and smashed yam in a bowl. Add cooking wine — about 2 spoonfuls (roughly 7–8 ml per spoon in my kitchen). Adjust to your taste; you’ll find your sweet spot after making this a few times.
-
Add soy sauce, about 3 spoonfuls. Go easy on the wine and soy sauce — too much will overpower the natural flavor of the pork.
-
Add cornstarch. Some people add a lot to help the meatballs hold their shape, but for home cooking I prefer less — taste matters more than looks.
-
Stir the filling clockwise until it becomes sticky and cohesive.
-
Choose a nice plate (I always use the same one — makes it easier to gauge portions). Add 1 spoonful of soy sauce to the plate and dilute with water. You can also add shredded ginger, scallion, or a splash of cooking wine to the plate — up to you.
-
Shape the filling into balls. With less starch they won’t hold a perfect round shape, but that’s fine — roughly shaped works. I usually make 6 meatballs per batch.
-
Steam over boiling water for 20 minutes once steam rises. A few extra minutes (23–25 min) is fine too, depending on the depth of your plate and size of the meatballs. Garnish with chopped scallions. The pork is fragrant, the yam adds a lovely chunky texture — serve over rice and it’s unbeatable.
