Thermomix Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Pork is a dish that everyone loves. Now you can make a healthier version of this family favourite in the Thermomix. The recipe includes loads of vegetables so there is no need to make a vegetable side dish.

Whenever I travel internationally I like to enroll in local cooking classes. During our last Thai holiday, I was pleased to find a class that was teaching a sweet and sour cooking class. My kids almost lived off sweet and sour alone whilst we were on holiday so I knew I wanted to perfect the recipe for them.

As with all Thai dishes, this recipe has a lovely balance of flavours and it’s such a simple dish to make when you know how. I have converted the recipe from conventional cooking to enable it to be cooked in the Thermomix.

Steaming Pork Meatballs

I find it so much easier to steam the pork meatballs in the Varoma than to stand over a wok frying them in batches. Steaming also means you don't have to worry about the meatballs falling apart while you cook them!

Best of all, steaming locks in all the flavour and moisture, so these will be the best you have tried, without being overly fatty.

The list of ingredients is a little long but the sauces are common to most Thai cooking and are staples that you may even already have in your pantry

Kids Love Meatballs

If you have kids they will love this recipe! When I was learning to make this dish in Thailand, the chef told me Sweet and Sour was the dish all children chose from the menu. I imagine that is true because it's delicious. The other thing all children love is meatballs. I have a few more meatball recipes on my site that you might like if you have kids.

• Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
• Swedish Meatballs
• Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs

Sweet & Sour Pork Meatball Tips

Baked Meatballs

To free up your Thermomix quicker you can bake the meatballs in the oven. Simply start by pre-heating the oven to 180 degrees Celcius and baking for 15-20 minutes. Once they are cooked, reserve them in a Thermoserver.

Watchpoints:

• Ensure that the meatballs are an even size so they all cook through at the same time.
• Space the meatballs on the Varoma allowing for the steam to easily circulate. (Use both trays)
• Use a trivet on the bottom Varoma tray to ensure the steam holes are not covered by the meatballs

The chef hosting my Thai cooking class gave us some helpful tips that apply to most Thai dishes:

• Always prepare all the ingredients prior to cooking.
• Taste the dish when the sauces have been added. Adjust the ingredients and sauces as you cook to get the correct balance between sweet & sour,  spicy or salty.

Step By Step Sweet & Sour

The images below show the process steps involved in making sweet and sour pork meatballs. If you're unsure about how to cut the vegetables take a look at the images.

Steaming Trivet

This trivet fits neatly inside your deep Varoma dish to ensure good steam circulation whilst cooking. It also increases the base size and allows more food to be cooked in the larger Varoma dish.
For more information take a look at the Mixshop Trivet

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More Asian Recipes

If you enjoy this recipe and are looking for more delicious Asian dishes, why not try some of my favourites.

Twice Cooked Chinese Pork Belly

Chinese Chicken & Sweet Corn Soup

Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs

Julie Carlyle

Sweet & Sour Pork Meatballs a family favourite -Now you can make a healthier version of this family favourite in the Thermomix. The recipe includes loads of vegetables so you won't have to make a side dish.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main, Main Course

Cuisine Chinese, Thai

Servings 5 serves

Calories 488 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Thermomix
• 1 Trivet
• 1 ThermoServer

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 5 g ginger fresh
• 10 g garlic
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon lemongrass paste
• ½ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 500 g pork mince
• ½ cup breadcrumbs

Sweet & Sour Vegetables

• 10 g garlic
• 5 g ginger fresh
• 1 Tbs oil
• 130 g onion cut in quarters
• 1 red chili long and deseeded and cut in quarters
• 65 g tomato fresh and diced
• 80 g carrot sliced
• 80 g green capsicum diced
• 80 g red capsicum diced
• 110 g pineapple canned and diced
• 130 g snow peas top and tail then cut in 2-3 pieces per image
• 20 g green shallots sliced
• 3 kaffir leaves shredded
• 1 Tbs coriander fresh and chopped

Sweet & Sour Sauce

• 55 g brown sugar
• 65 g tomato sauce
• 65 g rice wine vinegar
• 70 g oyster sauce
• 35 g soy sauce
• 2 Tbs cornflour
• 3 Tbs pineapple juice from the can

Instructions

 

Pork Meatballs

• Place the ginger and garlic in TM bowl. Chop 3 sec/Speed 7. Scrape down the bowl. Repeat.
  5 g ginger, 10 g garlic
• Add egg, soy sauce, brown sugar, Chinese 5 spice, white pepper, lemongrass and salt to the TM bowl. Combine 10 sec/Speed 4.
  1 egg, 1 Tbs soy sauce, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoon lemongrass paste, ½ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
• Add pork and breadcrumbs to TM bowl. Dough Mode 30 seconds.
  500 g pork mince, ½ cup breadcrumbs
• Roll 16 meatballs of approximately 55g and arrange them on the Varoma trays. 
• Rinse the TM bowl and add 1 litre of warm tap water. Place the lid on and stack the varoma trays and lid onto the Thermomix. Steam 20min/Varoma?Speed 2.5.
• Meanwhile prep the vegetables. Once the meatballs have been cooked transfer them to the ThermoServer and reserve for later. 

Sweet & Sour Vegetables

• Without cleaning the TM bowl add the ginger, chili and garlic to TM bowl. Chop 3 sec/Speed 9. Scrape down the bowl.
  10 g garlic, 5 g ginger, 1 red chili
• Add oil and diced onion to the garlic mixture. Saute 5 min/Varoma/Speed 2 (Reverse Blade) (MC OUT).
  1 Tbs oil, 130 g onion
• Add tomato pieces, carrot, red and green capsicum and pineapple to TM bowl. Cook 4min/Varoma/ Speed 1 (Reverse Blade) (MC OUT).
  65 g tomato, 80 g carrot, 80 g green capsicum, 80 g red capsicum, 110 g pineapple
• In a small bowl make a paste from the cornflour and reserved pineapple juice. Reserve.
  2 Tbs cornflour, 3 Tbs pineapple juice
• Add brown sugar, tomato sauce, rice wine vinegar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, snow peas, shallot, kaffir lime, coriander and reserved cornflour mixture to the TM bowl. Cook 4min/100 degrees/Speed 1 (Reverse Blade) (MC OUT).
  130 g snow peas, 20 g green shallots, 3 kaffir leaves, 55 g brown sugar, 65 g tomato sauce, 65 g rice wine vinegar, 70 g oyster sauce, 35 g soy sauce, 1 Tbs coriander
• Pour the sweet and sour sauce over the cooked meatballs.

Notes

Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs are delicious served with rice.

Watchpoints:

• Ensure that the meatballs are an even size so they all cook through at the same time.
• Space the meatballs on the varoma allowing for the steam to easily circulate. (Use both trays) 
• Use a Trivet for the best steam circulation

OVEN BAKED

If you would like to oven-bake the meatballs you can cook them using this method. 

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Bake for 15- 20 minutes depending on the size of the meatball. 

Nutrition

Calories: 488kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 23gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 1445mgPotassium: 749mgFiber: 3gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 3885IUVitamin C: 83.6mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 3.3mg

Keyword kid friendly, Meatballs, Thermomix

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