Make-Ahead Sticky Ginger-Soy Pork Meatballs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A big tray of juicy pork meatballs baked and tumbled in a glossy honey-soy-ginger sauce, built specifically to live in the freezer. There is no dairy, no flour-thickened gravy and no cornstarch slurry, so nothing splits, curdles or turns watery after freezing — the sauce simply melts back into a sticky glaze when you reheat it. Freeze in two family-sized portions and you have a 20-minute dinner over rice on any weeknight.

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground pork
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (whites and greens kept separate)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, for the pan

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment and brush it with the neutral oil.
2. In a big bowl, combine the pork, panko, egg, scallion whites, ginger, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Mix with your hands just until even — overworking makes the meatballs tough. Roll into 36 balls, about 1 1/2 inches each, and space them out on the sheet.
3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until browned at the edges and an instant-read thermometer reads 160°F (71°C) in the center. No need to turn them.
4. While they bake, combine the remaining 6 tablespoons soy sauce, the honey, rice vinegar, remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil, red pepper flakes and 1/3 cup water in a wide skillet. Simmer over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until slightly syrupy and reduced by about a third.
5. Add the baked meatballs to the skillet and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until glazed. Serve half now over rice, scattered with the scallion greens.
6. To freeze: cool the remaining meatballs and sauce completely (about 30 minutes, uncovered), then pack into zip-top freezer bags or airtight containers with the sauce divided evenly. Press flat, squeeze out the air, label and freeze up to 3 months.
7. To reheat from frozen: tip a frozen portion into a skillet with 2 tablespoons water, cover and set over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, breaking up and turning the meatballs as they loosen. Uncover, raise the heat to medium and bubble 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce is sticky again and the meatballs are steaming hot (165°F/74°C). Microwave option: cover and heat on high 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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