Cooking with Hatsue: Tsukune Ball Dinner!

Hi guys!!

This recipe is soooooo simple to make, tastes delicious and is so versatile. It’s perfect for nights where you want to make dinner fast and look forward to having the left overs the next day bc it is that dang good.

As you guys know, my parents LOVE to cook and this is something we are SO excited to start sharing! #cookingwithhatsue! More recipes just like these that are health conscious, simple, and delicious are coming so keep your eyes peeled on the blog!

TSUKUNE BALL

INGREDIENTS:

*yields 20 golf sized balls

1 lb organic ground dark meat chicken (we got from whole foods)
2” piece of ginger peels and diced small
2- 3 tbsp of green onions diced super small
2 tbsp apple (doens’t matter what kind) minced to add sweetness *this is optional

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

soy sauce or seasoned soy sauce (right)
mirin (pictured in the middle)
sake (pictured left)
potato starch * or sub with tapioca starch

If you don’t have these specific brands, obviously don’t stress! just ask someone at the market (most asian markets will have) or order it online on amazon.

METHOD:

In a large mixing bowl, mix all the tsukune ball ingredients together well with your hands then wait 20-30 minutes so the flavors infuse together. If you don’t have time to wait, then skip to the next step.

While you wait, you can start making the sauce.

In a small sauce pan, add 6 tbsp soy sauce, 6 tbsp miring, 6 tbsp sake over medium-low heat. Remember the quantity is more or less up to you- just make sure that they are all EQUAL parts soy sauce, mirin and sake. bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to a summer and cover for 1 minute. Next mix 1 tbsp of potato starch with 1 tbsp water in a small bowl and add that to the sauce. continue to cook on simmer stirring the mixture occasionally until sauce thickens to a teriyaki paste texture. If you need to, add more potato starch/water mixture slowly little by little. Once you reach a thick consistency like maple syrup, turn off the heat.

After the meat has settled, start rolling the meat mixture into truffle size balls (golf balls) and place on a plate or cutting board. You should have around 20 balls total.

Heat a non stick pan on medium/low heat and add 2 tsp olive oil. Place the balls gently on the pan and turn balls until golden brown color is reached. total cook time is around 3 minutes. You will cook them a little more with the sauce so don’t worry if its not completely cooked through.

Next, add the sauce to the tsukune ball pan and heat over a simmer with the cover on for 1 minute so the balls soak up the sauce.

TA-DA! You’re done!

Plate with greens, nuts, dried fruits or just have alone with rice. Enjoy this delicious meal and have fun chasing the shapes of the balls to even a patty shape to make an open hamburger dish one day!