Chinese Pearl Balls With Orange Ginger Dipping Sauce Food

PEARL BALLS (ZHēNZHū WáNZI)

Steps:

• Drain the soaked rice and dry the grains well, spreading them out on a sheet pan and patting dry with a paper towel. Drier grains adhere to the meat mixture better.
• Combine the ground meat, water chestnuts, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch, egg, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl until well blended. Divide the mixture into 24 meatballs, lightly wetting the palms of your hands with water to help shape them (the mixture will be wet and sticky). Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up.
• Roll the meatballs in the soaked rice, ensuring each meatball is covered in rice grains.
• Prepare bamboo steamer trays by lining with lightly oiled parchment paper. Ideally, three 9-inch steamer trays will comfortably hold all 24 balls (8 per tray). If you don't have enough trays, you can steam them in batches.
• Place the pearl balls on the steamer tray, spacing them about 1 inch apart so they are not touching. Stack the trays carefully and cover with a lid. Place the steamer over boiling water, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes until the rice grains are cooked through.
• Serve with soy dipping sauce, if desired. Refrigerate leftover dumplings, return them to room temperature, and steam them for about 5 minutes to reheat.

CHINESE PEARL BALLS WITH ORANGE GINGER DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except rice and dipping sauce in large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Scoop and roll meat mixture into small balls, about the size of marbles. Roll each in rice, pressing rice into meat well. Place on steamer rack; cover and steam over boiling water 25 minutes, until rice grains are tender. Serve hot or cold with Orange-Ginger Dipping Sauce.
• Orange Ginger Dipping Sauce: Stir together all ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

CHINESE PEARL BALLS (APPETIZERS)

Steps:

• Soak the rice in water to cover for 4 hours. Drain and pat dry. Soak the mushrooms in 1/2 cup warm water for 1 hour. Drain and discard the tough stems. Chop the caps finely.
• Mix together all the ingredients, except the rice, until well blended. Your hands are best for this job. Form balls 1 inch in diameter.
• Spread the rice on a baking sheet. One at a time, roll the pearl balls in it, coating completely. Set the balls on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate. The balls can be frozen at this point.
• To steam pearl balls, put steamer in a pan or wok and add water so that it comes to within 1 inch of steamer bottom. Put balls on steamer racks. Bring to boil. Cover and steam for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
• Martha Stewart Entertaining.

ORANGE-GINGER DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Stir together all ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to serve.