Hoisin-Glazed co*cktail Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is inside hoisin sauce? ›

Though regional variations exist, most modern hoisin sauce recipes contain some combination of the following ingredients: fermented soybeans, five-spice powder, garlic, red chili peppers, and sugar. "Hoisin" comes from the Cantonese word for seafood, though it's not commonly associated with seafood dishes.

When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder. This will result in a softer-textured meatball, but it does work.

Baking soda, otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate, appears often in köfte recipes. It raises the PH level of the meat, making it harder for the meat's protein molecules to bond. This in turn allows the meat to retain water as it cooks. And more water means a moist meatball.

It has a very strong salty and slightly sweet flavor. Hoisin sauce does taste a bit like an American-style barbecue sauce, but much saltier, richer, less sweet, and has a flavor all its own. The fermented soybeans add the savory umami element that some other sauces use fish or meat to achieve.

Ready-made alternatives for hoisin sauce

For example, if you're making a seafood dish, you can substitute with oyster sauce, which has a unique fishy flavor. Soy sauce and tamari sauce are also perfect for adding flavor to vegetables and stir-fry dishes. Barbecue sauce is a great substitute for meat dishes.

Milk provides more than moisture

Not only does added fat provide loads of immeasurable flavor, but meatballs made with a little extra fat are also sure to stay nice and moist throughout the cooking process.

Adding raw meatballs to the sauce and gently simmering till cooked yields ultra-tender results, and infuses the sauce with meaty flavor—a slow cooker gives great results.

The best meatballs are tender, baked and browned in a hot oven to seal in all the juices. Simmered in robust sauce for a couple of minutes ensures they soak up all of those saucy flavours, this is an easy dinner recipe that will be a hit with your family!

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

Do meatballs get more tender the longer they cook in sauce? ›

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

If the meatballs are packed together too tightly, they will cook up rubbery, chewy, and tough. If the meatballs are different sizes, they will cook unevenly. The smaller meatballs may end up dry and overcooked, while the larger ones may end up undercooked.

Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry. The breadcrumbs absorb the juices from the meat as it cooks, trapping them within the meatball. Again quantity is important here; too much and your meatball will be more like stuffing or a dumpling.

Fresh herbs are recommended. I like fresh basil in my tomato sauce. Make your sauce in a dutch oven, large sautè pan or frying pan and you have easy skillet meatballs. Always add some extra grated parmesan cheese to the sauce and give your meatballs a good coating of the tomato sauce and cheese.

No, it's safe to say that it's uncommon to actually find any seafood in hoisin sauce, the name comes from the fact that it was traditionally served with fish or seafood. Hoisin sauce is generally made from fermented soybeans, fennel, red chilli peppers, garlic, vinegar, (Chinese) five-spice and sugar for sweetening.

Often used as a cooking ingredient, oyster sauce has a richer and more intense taste than hoisin but it does not have the sweetness. If you want to cook with an oyster sauce substitute, hoisin sauce works fine if you like a sweet, tangy flavor.

The word "Hoisin" is Cantonese and translates to 'seafood sauce', although it contains no seafood. It was created by a chef as a dip to accompany seafood at a local food stall. It was so unique and tasty, that people refer to the sauce as "seafood sauce" and the name stuck with the sauce.

The base ingredients for hoisin sauce are all vegan-friendly. Aside from the main ingredient of soybean paste, other ingredients in hoisin sauce include chili, vinegar, garlic, salt, xanthan gum, artificial flavorings, and sugar.