Monday 9 March 2015

Ugly Meatballs



My partner was coming home for dinner and I was not in the mood to cook. hah..hah..hah... You gals know what I am talking about, right? When that lazy mood hits you, you just don't feel like doing anything, let alone cooking.



I didn't have the heart to tell him to "tapau" (take away food) because as far as possible, I want to cook for him. The easiest thing to cook would be meatballs. All I needed to do was to mix the minced meat with onions, salt, pepper, egg and some cornflour. Then I decided to add grated carrots and green peas.


But I was really lazy that day and I simply did not feel like frying the meatballs. So I decided to experiment by baking the meatballs. I checked a few recipes to confirm the method.


I lined a baking tray with aluminium foil. Then I rubbed some oil on the foil so that the meatballs won't stick. After that I rolled the meatballs and placed them on the tray. I brushed some oil on them using a pastry brush (which I later discovered is not necessary).


I have put a bit too much carrots and the meatballs did not come together that well. Then I baked the whole lot at 200C for 20 minutes. I flipped the meatballs at half time (again, this flipping is not necessary). In spite of the oil, they still stuck to the foil. To confirm if they were cooked, I cut one meatball and checked the center. Yes, it was done.


There was still some meatballs leftover that could not fit into the baking tray. So in spite of my laziness, I pan fried them. They looked hideous....


....but they were delicious. Especially so when dipped with my new favorite chilli sauce - Sriracha.


The baked meatballs are not attractive as they are not brown like those which are fried. But they tasted good all the same and they are a lot more convenient to cook. I'm glad that I did not allow laziness to get the better of me as I also managed to boil a pot of vegetable soup :)









Baked Meatballs
Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :
- 380g minced pork
- 1 big onion, minced
- grated carrots
- green peas
- 1 egg
- 1 heaped tablespoon cornflour
- salt and pepper to taste

Method :
1. Mix all the ingredients together until the mixture becomes sticky and gluey.
2. Rest the mixture in the fridge for about an hour.
3. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and rub some oil to coat the foil.
4. Take the minced meat out of the fridge to come to room temperature.
5. Roll into balls and place on the lined tray.
6. Brush the meatballs with some oil and bake at 200C for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned and cooked at the center.

42 comments:

  1. Nonsense! The balls don't look ugly, they look delicious la.. Hou hoi wai timmm.. I tried cubed apples and mashed potatoes and stuffs inside my meatballs before, but in the end, I still prefer my meatballs simple.. Just minced meat, soy sauce, pepper.. But your one look so so yummylicious, I want to try your one, minus the peas coz the boys will pick out anything green.. I can have 100!

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    Replies
    1. hah..hah...100 is a lot! I love these meatballs because very easy to prepare and good to eat. I do it quite often now.

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  2. Who say's it's ugly, yummy leh, i can eat a lot of it, hehe...

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  3. oh it's MEATBALLS and I LOVE MEATBALLS!!! especially this type of homemade meatballs, I also prefer the fried ones than the baked ones.. the first photo of the baked version look like "siew mai" to me, probably because of the color, hehe!!

    no problem for me with the burnt as I think a little brown and crispy on the outside is even nicer leh.. just imagine crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, and also a little bit of crunchiness (from the carrots, onions, sengkuang etc) inside, that is surely a perfect meatball, haha!!

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    Replies
    1. Yah, hor? I also thought they look like siew mai, so I am not wrong lah hee..hee...

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  4. WTF! How is baking meatballs + pan frying minced meat + making vegetable soup lazy?? It is the opposite of lazy :/

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    Replies
    1. I was lazy but made myself do all that hah..hah...

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  5. Actually, I think your baked meatballs looked nicer than the pan-fried ones (hmm...I might try baking them). I love meatballs and I add breadcrumbs into mine (to keep it moist) before pan-frying them (a trick I learned from Barefoot Contessa).

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, they do look better than the pan fried ones hah..hah...

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  6. Hi Phong Hong, your post title and the photos of it didn't match at all. It looks good. I don't see any flaws if your didn't say so. So long as it tastes good and edible, it's an achievement, hehehe!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Kimmy! I am more used to the fried ones and I think those look better :)

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  7. Phong Hong, Totally agree with Kimmy. The baked meatballs look delicious!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ann! They were rather good and I bake my meatballs these days :)

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  8. Who cares about looks if they are delicious!

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  9. Ugly! I thought they looked great! Very attractive...nicer than those IKEA ones - those look kind of hard and...dry, if not for the gravy.

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    Replies
    1. Oh, thank you heee..hee... so far I have not eaten the IKEA ones. people rave over it.

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  10. No, Phong Hong, they are not ugly. They look good and tasty. Most important is they are yummy and delicious. And you are not lazy lor..in the end you have baked and pan fried meat balls and vegetable soups. What a nice, yummy dinner!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Nancy! I started out lazy but when thing kept going, well, somehow I managed not to be lazy :D

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  11. Ugly meatballs you said......... but I guess it must be delicious because it is homemade

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  12. Ugly meh?? Not ugly at all, looks tempting!!

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  13. Hi Phong Hong, these baked meatballs looked presentable and tasty !

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Karen! They tasted rather good.

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  14. Your meatballs looks delicious! Not ugly! Pass them over if you don't want them! :)

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    Replies
    1. Joyce, no more already heee..hee....

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  15. Looks do not matter here but taste does so since it is delicious, who cares how they look!

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  16. They are not ugly, they look yummy, I love fried meatballs

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    Replies
    1. Libby, you will love the baked ones too!

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  17. When can I come over your house for dinner? Hee hee

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  18. Hi Phong Hong,

    You know beauty lies in the eyes of beholders... Your ugly might be pretty to us :p

    Zoe

    Btw... Funny that you have mistaken me as Yen - LOL!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Zoe! And oh...hee..hee... I don't know why my fingers typed Yen when I meant Zoe LOL!

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  19. Got ugly meh? Thats how delicious meatballs shuld look like. :P

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  20. ugly or not, these looks darn delicious to me

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  21. agree with the rest. Where got ugly? aiyo..go check your eyes!

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    Replies
    1. hee,,hee...Thanks, Lena! In that case I should make the meatballs more often.

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