Wanjakuk Korean Meatball Soup Food

KOREAN MEATBALLS AND NOODLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place beef in a bowl.
• Combine honey, black pepper, sesame oil, vinegar, pear, onion, ginger, soy sauce and half the garlic in a food processor or blender and whirl until well blended. Mix with beef. Add egg and bread crumbs and mix again. Form into 1 1/2-inch balls and arrange on the baking sheet with a bit of space between them. Place in the oven and bake 20 minutes.
• While meatballs bake, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and boil 5 minutes for udon, about 8 minutes for linguine. Reserve 2/3 cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta.
• When meatballs are done, transfer them to a bowl and scrape pan juices into a sauté pan. Heat on medium, add remaining garlic and cook briefly until it starts to color. Whisk in gochujang, then pasta water. Simmer about 3 minutes, until sauce reduces and starts to thicken. Reduce heat to low, add noodles and toss in sauce. Add meatballs and mix gently. Transfer to a warm serving dish or individual bowls, scatter with scallions and serve.

WANJAKUK (KOREAN MEATBALL SOUP)

Steps:

• Put the tofu in a clean cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as you can, then tip the tofu into a mixing bowl and mash it with a fork. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut 2 of the spring onions crosswise into very thin rings, reserving the other 2 for the stock.
• Add the garlic and sliced spring onions to the bowl with the tofu and then add the ground beef, soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix well and roll into about 20 meatballs - about the size of a walnut. At this point, you could refrigerate the meatballs until ready to cook.
• Put the stock in a large pan. Cut the remaining spring onions into 2 inch lengths. Peel the ginger and cut it into thin slices. Add the ginger and spring onions to the stock and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes. Salt the stock to your taste. Return to a boil to add meatballs.
• Put the flour onto a plate and beat the egg lightly in a bowl. Roll each meatball first in the flour and then the egg and then drop into the boiling soup. If the soup falls out of the boil stage as you are adding meatballs, this is ok. Once all meatballs have been added, return soup to a boil and then serve.

THAI-INSPIRED CHICKEN MEATBALL SOUP

Steps:

• Using the small holes of a box grater, or a Microplane, grate the ginger, garlic and jalapeño (or finely chop them by hand). Transfer half to a large bowl and set the rest aside. To the large bowl, add the chicken, finely chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons fish sauce and 1 teaspoon salt. Use your hands or a fork to fully combine but do not overmix.
• Use your hands or an ice cream scoop to form 2-inch meatballs (about 2 ounces each). In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs in a single layer and cook, flipping halfway through, until golden brown on two sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat, adding oil as needed.
• Once all the meatballs are browned and out of the pot, if the oil is burned, wipe it out and add a bit more to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium, add the reserved ginger mixture and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and any juices from the plate, and simmer until the flavors come together and the meatballs are cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and stir in the spinach and lime juice. Divide rice among bowls, then top with meatballs, broth and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.