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Sweet Sour Bola-Bola - Beef Meatballs

These Sweet Sour Bola-Bola - Beef Meatballs, made with ground beef can be either pan fried or baked. The sweet sour sauce is prepared separately and quickly boiled till it gets thick and shiny. You can also use a combination of ground beef and pork if desired. The best thing about this dish is that I can cook it in any kitchen, anywhere in the world because the ingredients can be found in most local groceries. This is an AsianInAmericamag.com recipe. Serves 2 to 4.
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino
Keyword: Sweet Sour Bola Bola Beef Meatballs
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 399kcal
Author: Asian in America recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef or pork, or combination
  • 1 whole onion chopped (divided, use 1/4 portion for sweet sour sauce)
  • 2 stalks scallion whites chopped, white parts only (keep green parts chopped for garnish)
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon bread crumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt divided, use 1 teaspoon for sweet sour sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided, use 1/2 teaspoon for sweet sour sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup for pan frying, 1 Tablespoon (for sweet sour sauce) vegetable or corn oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 whole tomato sliced
  • 1 whole red or green bell pepper sliced, seeded
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato catsup
  • 1/4 cup or use white distilled vinegar cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup water for sweet sour
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water to dilute cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup pineapple chunks (canned)
  • for serving: boiled rice

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the meatballs : ground beef, onion, scallions, eggs, soy sauce, bread crumbs, flour, salt, pepper and sesame oil. Blend well. Shape the ground beef mixture into 2-inch sized meatballs. Arrange on a flat tray or container. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour to firm up.
  • You can choose from these 2 ways to cook the meatballs or ‘bola-bola’. 1) To bake: Place meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake meatballs at a preheated oven of 350 F degrees for 30 minutes. When cooked, set aside.
  • Or method 2) To pan fry : in a large skillet over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil. When oil is hot enough in about 3 minutes, add the meatballs, leaving a space of about 2 inches apart. Pan fry meatballs for about 25 to 28 minutes till well done. When cooked, drain meatballs on parchment paper to remove grease. Set aside.
  • When serving the meatballs, plate on a large platter. Pour the sweet sour sauce with the vegetables on top. Serve with boiled jasmine rice.
  • To make sweet sour sauce: separately in a small sauce  pan, over medium heat, saute the garlic, onions, ginger, tomatoes and bell peppers till soft for about 2 minutes. Remove the sautéed vegetables from the pan and set aside.
  • To the same sauce pan, add the catsup and fry for about 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the vinegar, granulated sugar, pineapple juice and water. Blend well. Return the sautéed vegetables to this mixture. Season with salt and black pepper powder. Cover and continue cooking for a minute.
  • Separately, in a small bowl, dilute the cornstarch in water and blend well till there are no more lumps. Add this cornstarch mixture to the sauce pan with the vegetables and vinegar mix. Bring to a boil in about 2 minutes. Lower heat to a slow simmer. The mixture will thicken by this time. Add the pineapple chunks if desired.
  • Cook’s comments: if desired, instead of an all-beef meatball mixture, combine ground pork and ground beef. Cook according to directions above.
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Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1264mg | Potassium: 452mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 379IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg