MADE TO BE SHARED

Japanese glazed meatballs with pickled vegetables

Learn how to cook this quick and healthy Japanese beef mince recipe.  

Prep time20 min
Cook time20 min
Servings4
DifficultyEasy
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THE GOOD STUFF

Ingredients

Simple ingredients, wonderful result.

Servings4
600 g lean beef mince (makes 24)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp finely grated ginger
1.4 cup panko crumbs
270 g soba noodles

Glaze4 ingredients

1.4 cup sweet soy
2 tbsp soy sauce
1.4 cup mirin
1 tsp sesame oil

Pickled vegetables6 ingredients

1.2 cup rice wine vinegar
4 sprigs rosemary
4 pink radish, washed and sliced
1 Lebanese cucumber, roughly chopped on the diagonal
1 bok choy, quartered lengthways
1 long red chilli, slit in half lengthways but kept whole at the stem
LET’S COOK

Step-by-step method

Make it your own, one easy step at a time.

  1. 01

    Step 1

    Place beef mince, soy, garlic, ginger and panko crumbs in a large bowl and mix until combined. Roll into 24 meatballs, about 1 tablespoon each. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 10 minutes, drain and closely thread 3 meatballs onto each skewer.

  2. 02

    Step 2

    Place chopped vegetables in a large heatproof bowl. Place rice vinegar, a pinch of salt flakes and 2 sprigs rosemary in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, turn off heat and pour vinegar over vegetables, turn to coat and cover with a lid. Leave to pickle for 5-10 minutes for crunchy pickles. Drain before serving.

  3. 03

    Step 3

    Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl and use remaining 2 rosemary sprigs for brushing glaze onto meatballs after cooking.

  4. 04

    Step 4

    Drizzle meatballs with a little oil or spray with oil spray and then place on a preheated BBQ on medium to high heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes then turn over and cook for another 5 minutes. Brush meatballs with glaze using the rosemary skewers while on the BBQ, and brush with extra glaze to serve.

  5. 05

    Step 5

    Cook soba noodles according to packet directions, drain. Serve skewers with pickled vegetables and soba noodles.

Tips

  1. When turning meatballs on the BBQ, use a palette knife or metal spatula to help you turn them as they have a tendency to stick, and the bamboo skewers get hot.

  2. Meatballs can be made ahead and frozen. Bake from frozen at 180C fan forced for 15-20 minutes. Glaze in final 5 minutes.

  3. Try with lamb or veal mince.

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