Asian Pork Meatballs for a Melbourne Cup lunch

These delicious  pork Meatballs lend themselves very well to being baked in the oven and for me that is much easier than standing over a hot sizzling fry pan, as nice as that sounds, and cooking them carefully and hoping that they don't break up when I turn them over. The dipping sauce requires no cooking, just pulsing in the food processor, and tastes very fresh with a hint of tang. These are my kind of meatballs for summer eating. I was asked to take a plate to a Melbourne Cup lunch yesterday and these were a hit. I made them smaller as they were really like an appetiser, and provided toothpicks for easy selection. It's amazing how whenever I take meatballs with a dipping sauce to a function, and I often have, they do the vanishing act which is great and just how I like it.

It's always fun to go to a Melbourne Cup lunch, and yesterday we won the sweep. Well actually we didn't, our adorable little Grandson Hugo did. Neil bought a sweep entry in his name, as well as ours and he won. So now at only 16 months old, he has some cash earned from gambling. New little push along tricycle coming up Hugo. We will tell him when he is much older how we paid for his first little bike, ha, ha.

I hope you enjoy my Melbourne Cup meatballs as well.

Makes 30 meatballs

Meatball Ingredients:

750 g minced pork
1 lightly beaten egg
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
2 tablespoons shallots or spring onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons carrot, finely grated
2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably low salt
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander, or basil
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Panko or fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

1 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons coriander
2 tablespoons mint
3 tablespoons soy sauce, low salt
1/4 cup sesame oil

Let's cook:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Combine the milk and the Panko breadcrumbs in a large bowl, to soak for 5 minutes.
Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs to the large bowl.
Mix together with your hands until well combined and the herbs are distributed though out the mixture.



Shape the mixture into meatballs and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
Sprinkle some of them with black sesame seeds.



Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or nicely browned.

Method for the sauce:

In your blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients except the coriander and the mint. Blend until well mixed together.
Add in the coriander and the mint and pulse until the herbs are finely chopped and mixed with the liquid.
Put aside in a covered container.

I served these at a Melbourne Cup lunch as finger food, with dipping sauce and tooth picks on the side. However, they could be served with rice and stir fried vegetables for a main meal.

Do you have a favourite finger food dish on a plate that you like to take to a lunch or as an appetiser? I also like fresh finger sandwiches to eat in those situations, do you?  Prawns also go down well.
Have a great day.

Best wishes

Pauline