Spicy schezuan pork meatballs recipe

This dish gets its heat from the addition of schezuan or Sichuan pepper and chilli so you can adjust the heat to suit your taste. The addition of breadcrumbs into the meatballs makes them deliciously moist and moreish. Serve with noodles or on their own as a nibble

Ingredients

• 50g breadcrumbs
• 4tbsp light soy sauce
• 300g pork mince
• 20g ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 spring onions
• 1 red chilli
• 12 15 schezuan peppercorns
• 2tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove sliced
• 20g ginger chopped finely
• 1 red chilli, seeded and sliced
• 1tbsp crushed schezuan pepper
• 2tbsp dark soy sauce
• 750ml chicken stock
• Glug of rice wine or sherry
• 6 spring onions chopped

Method

1. Soak the breadcrumbs in the light soy sauce.
2. Place pork, ginger, garlic, chilli, spring onions and schezuan pepper in a food processor, add the soaked breadcrumbs and blitz.
3. Make the mixture into meatballs about the size of a small walnut and set aside.
4. Heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the meatballs. Fry for around 10 minutes or until golden.
5. Start the broth by frying the chopped ginger garlic and chilli in a little vegetable oil.
6. Add the dark soy, stock, schezuan pepper, rice wine or sherry and spring onions. Taste and adjust seasoning to suit.
7. Add the meatballs to the pot and heat through.
8. Serve with some noodles (vermicelli or egg) or on their own as a starter.