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Japanese Pork, Sesame and Ginger Meatballs with Soba Noodles

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Small, round, melt in the mouth pork meatballs loaded with sesame and ginger, swathed in a rich, sticky, soy and honey sauce served over noodles or sticky rice. Oh my word – taste and texture heaven in every bite and a huge flavour punch. I promise you will not be able to stop eating these!

Although I prefer these meatballs served warm, if there are any leftover (which I doubt!) they also make an ideal lunch the following day served at room temperature.

Most of the ingredients you need for this dish are available in large supermarkets these days. Certainly everything, apart from the dashi stock, can be bought from Ocado.  Dashi stock can be bought on-line from Amazon and the Japan Centre is also an excellent source of Japanese ingredients.

How to make Japanese Pork, Sesame and Ginger Meatballs with Soba Noodles or Sticky Rice

Collect the ingredients together:

The meatballs

  • roughly chopped shallot or onion
  • garlic, peeled
  • fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • pork mince
  • panko bread crumbs  
  • sesame seeds
  • sesame oil
  • shichimi togarashi (or cayenne pepper – but use less. Shichimi tograshi is a mix of spices and less hot than cayenne, so go easy on the cayenne.)
  • fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ground nut oil – to cook

The sauce:

  • dashi stock powder – you can make this without the dashi if you cannot get hold of it. It will still be delicious.
  • soy sauce
  • mirin
  • sesame oil
  • rice wine vinegar
  • honey

To serve:

  • soba noodles or sticky rice
  • chopped coriander leaves
  • finely chopped spring onion
  • black and white sesame seeds
  • sprinkling of shichimi togarashi or cayenne pepper

First make the meatballs:

  1. Peel the onion, garlic and ginger and roughly chop.
  2. Add to a mini food processor and pulse until they are all finely chopped. Alternatively, finely chop or finely grate them.
  3. Add to a mixing bowl with the pork, panko breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, sesame oil, shichimi togarashi, salt and pepper.
  4. Mix thoroughly – it is easiest to do this with your hands.
  5. Use a small ice cream scoop or a teaspoon to make around 55 – 60 small meatballs.
  6. Roll them in your hands to neaten the balls.
  7. Drizzle the ground nut oil into the pre-heated pan, (I use a cast iron pan which I can also use on the hob) add the meatballs and jiggle around so the meatballs are covered in a thin layer of oil. Return to the oven and cook for 5 minutes.

Make the sauce whilst the meatballs cook:

  1. Tip the dashi stock powder into a mixing bowl or jug.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients – soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and honey and mix thoroughly with a balloon whisk.

Bring it all together:

  1. When the pork balls are ready, remove from the oven and add the sauce.
  2. Stir the balls to make sure they are covered in the sauce.
  3. Bring to a simmer to reduce the sauce and finish cooking the pork.
  4. Your pork and sauce will be ready when the pork is cooked and the sauce is thick, sticky and coating the meatballs. There should be a little extra to soak into the noodles or the rice. Be careful not to overcook or over-reduce or the honey will burn.
  5. Serve your meatballs over soba noodles or sticky rice garnished with coriander and/or sliced spring onions, black and white sesame seeds and a sprinkling of shichimi togarashi.

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodilkitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.

Japanese Pork, Sesame and Ginger Meatballs with Soba Noodles

Small, round, melt in the mouth pork meatballs loaded with sesame and ginger, swathed in a rich sticky, soy and honey sauce with dashi served over noodles or sticky rice.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Supper
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword cinnamon and honey butter, meatballs, pork, soy sauce
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Author Susan

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 75g roughly chopped shallot or onion
  • 16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 20g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 500g pork mince – or you could use chicken or turkey mince
  • 50g panko bread crumbs  
  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon shichimi togarashi or ¼ – ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground nut oil

The sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon dashi stock powder(or two small sachets)
  • 120ml/135g soy sauce – preferably Japanese or light soy sauce, but not dark soy sauce
  • 180ml/200g mirin
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 90g runny honey

To serve:

  • soba noodles or sticky rice
  • chopped coriander leaves
  • thinly sliced spring onions
  • black and white sesame seeds
  • sprinkling of shichimi togarashi (or cayenne pepper)

Instructions

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to Fan oven 180°C/200°C/400°F/Gas 6.

  3. Place a deep sided roasting pan or tray in the oven to heat up. I use a cast iron pan which I can also use on the hob.

  4. First make the meatballs: peel the onion, garlic and ginger and roughly chop.

  5. Add to a mini food processor and pulse until they are all finely chopped. Alternatively, finely chop or finely grate them.

  6. Add to a mixing bowl with the pork, panko breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, sesame oil, shichimi togarashi, salt and pepper.

  7. Mix thoroughly – it is easiest to do this with your hands.

  8. Use a small ice cream scoop or a teaspoon to make around 55 – 60 small meatballs.

  9. Roll them in your hands to neaten the balls.

  10. Drizzle the ground nut oil into the pre-heated pan from the oven, add the meatballs and jiggle around so the meatballs are covered in a thin layer of oil.

  11. Return to the oven and cook for 5 minutes.

  12. Make the sauce whilst the meatballs cook: tip the dashi stock powder into a mixing bowl or jug.

  13. Add the remaining ingredients – soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and honey and mix thoroughly with a balloon whisk.

  14. Bring it all together: when the pork balls are ready, remove from the oven and pour over the sauce.

  15. Stir the balls to make sure they are covered in the sauce.

  16. Bring to a simmer to reduce the sauce and finish cooking the pork.

  17. Your pork and sauce will be ready when the pork is cooked and the sauce is thick, sticky and coating the meatballs. There should be a little extra to soak into the noodles or the rice. Be careful not to overcook or over-reduce or the honey will burn.

  18. Serve your meatballs over soba noodles or sticky rice garnished with coriander and/or sliced spring onions, black and white sesame seeds and a sprinkling of shichimi togarashi.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:.

  • kitchen scales and measuring spoons
  • chopping board and knife
  • mini food processor
  • mixing bowl
  • measuring jug
  • cast iron pan or frying pan you can also use in the oven. Alternatively, use a baking tray and then transfer to a pan you can use on the hob

WARNING:

These are totally addictive! 

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