Dim Sum Beef Meatball

INGREDIENTS

Make the Meatballs

• 200 g 7 oz lean ground beef
• 1/3 tsp of salt
• 1.5 tsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp of chicken bouillon powder
• 1/4 tsp of white pepper
• 1 tsp of sesame oil
• 1/3 tsp of baking soda
• 42 g 1.5 oz of hot water
• 42 g 1.5 oz of crushed ice
• 29 g 1 oz of tapioca starch or potato starch
• 42 g 1.5 oz of pork fat, diced
• 4 tbsp of diced cilantro
• A piece of aged tangerine peel, 1.5 inches * 2 inches
• 42 g 1.5 oz of Diced Jicama

Others:

• 2-3 pieces of Tofu skin to prevent sticking optional
• 1-2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce for dipping

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Season the ground beef with salt, sugar, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon powder, white pepper to taste, and sesame oil. Mix within one direction until the seasonings are well combined. Chill the filling in the fridge for one hour.
2. While waiting, soak the dried tangerine peel for 40 minutes. Use a spoon to eliminate the pith, then dice the tangerine peel finely.
3. Dice the pork fat, jicama, and cilantro. If you can’t find jicama, use carrot, water chestnut, or daikon radish.
4. Cut the tofu skin into smaller pieces, then deep fry in 380 F oil for a few seconds. Remove it from the oil and soak it in clean water for a couple of minutes or until soft. Tofu skin is slightly chewy if you steam it directly, which is unpleasant to eat. After deep frying and soaking, it becomes porous and can soak flavor from the meatballs.
5. Slightly squeeze the tofu skin and put it on a plate. The purpose is to prevent the meatballs from sticking to the plate. Other than that, it doesn’t make a big difference in taste. If you don’t have it, or you think it is too much effort to deep fry and soak the tofu skin, feel free to skip it or use parchment paper to prevent sticking.
6. Combine the baking soda and the hot water. The heat will break the sodium bicarbonate into sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), which is a stronger alkaline. It will improve the texture of the meat by changing the PH level. That is why the meatballs are soft and succulent.
7. Add the crushed ice to cool the liquid. Then combine the liquid with the tapioca starch and stir thoroughly.
8. Take the beef out of the fridge, add the tapioca water in batches, and stir the meat in one direction until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to whisk the meat until it becomes gluey and sticky.
9. Add the diced jicama, tangerine peel, pork belly, and cilantro. Mix until well combined. Small bites of ingredients will inhibit protein formation, which lowers the water-absorbing rate. That's why I mix the meat with the tapioca starch water first, then add all these minced ingredients last.
10. Grab a big batch of meat and squeeze it. The meat will naturally form a ball in between your thumb and forefinger. Scoop it with a spoon and put it on top of the fried tofu skin. This recipe is enough to make 6 big meatballs, 65 grams (2.3 oz) each.
11. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Steam the meatballs over high heat for 10 minutes.