Rice Balls with Steamed Pork

In Cantonese, these balls are called jung jiu kao - pearl balls. The effect of mother-of-pearl (although not very pronounced) creates rice, if it is not mixed with pork, but rolled in balls. Rice balls are usually served in the evening as a snack or for lunch as a type of dim sum. Pork can be perfectly cooked with chicken or turkey - but the minced meat should not be too lean so that the balls do not fall apart.

Ingredients

• 135 g glutinous short-grain rice
• 300 g pretty fatty minced pork
• half a small carrot
• 6 dried Chinese black mushrooms
• 2 cm fresh ginger root
• 2 stalks of green onions
• 30 g cornstarch
• 17 g dark sesame oil
• 20 g rice wine or dry sherry
• 4 g sugar
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• vegetable oil for lubrication
• 80 g dark soy sauce
• 30 g rice vinegar
• 34 g dark sesame oil

Directions

1. Rinse the rice thoroughly under running cold water. Then fill with cold water and leave for 30 minutes. Throw in a colander and shake off any remaining water. Transfer to a saucepan, pour in 1 cup of boiling water, bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, leave covered for 10 minutes, then cool.
2. Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes (they should grow a lot). Fold in a colander, then slice thinly, removing the stiff legs. Chop carrots, ginger and green onions, put in a bowl. Add minced meat and mushrooms, mix thoroughly with a fork. In a separate bowl, combine the soy sauce, wine, starch 1 tbsp. l. cold water, sugar, pepper and salt, mix until smooth, pour the resulting mixture into the minced meat and mix thoroughly. Add rice and mix thoroughly again. You should have a soft, gooey mass.
3. While wetting your hands in hot water, roll the minced meat into walnut-sized balls and place them on your work surface. When half of the minced meat has been used, transfer the balls to a lightly oiled heat-resistant sieve. Place it in a saucepan with a little boiling water, cover and cook for 20 minutes. in the meantime, prepare the second serving of balls (in a double-level steamer, you can cook all the balls at the same time).
4. For the sauce, combine all the ingredients. Pour the sauce into small bowls and serve over the hot balls.