我家廚房 Christina's Kitchen

自製貢丸 Homemade Taiwanese Style Meatballs

材料 Ingredients

瘦豬絞肉 Lean ground pork	3	磅 lb (1,350g)
鹽 Salt	3-3/4	小匙 tsp
糖 Sugar	3	大匙 Tbs
白胡椒 White Pepper	1	小匙 tsp
太白粉 Tapioca Starch	4	大匙 Tbs
冰水 Ice Water	3	大匙 Tbs

註：食譜中的太白粉和冰水可免，那樣做出的貢丸比較粗糙，肉質比較緊。
Note: You can omit the tapioca starch and ice water in the recipe. By doing so, the meat balls will be less smooth and the texture is firmer.

做法﹕

1.	把絞肉平鋪在塑膠袋內(約1cm厚度)後放進冷凍庫凍硬。如果凍箱不夠大，可以對折。
2.	拿出絞肉，去掉塑膠袋。等到可以切得動絞肉而絞肉還是冷凍狀態時，將凍絞肉切成1cm小塊。
3.	如果天氣熱時，將肉塊放進攪拌缸，連同攪拌缸放進冷凍庫30分鐘。
4.	加入鹽進攪拌缸，裝上漿狀腳，用低速打5分鐘 (由1速漸進到3速)，再轉成4速打到肉變泥狀有彈性，大約12分鐘。此時肉泥顏色變比較白，還含有少數紅色肉粒。如果肉粒很多就是打的不夠。
5.	把太白粉和水拌勻。將攪拌機轉成1速，加入太白粉水，糖和白胡椒粉打約1分鐘後再用4速拌勻即可。可在此時隨各人喜好，加入香菇丁或油蔥酥等等。
6.	2/3鍋水煮沸騰後，將火關小。放進一小塊肉泥到水裡煮熟試嚐味道。這樣你還有機會調整貢丸味道。
7.	戴上料理用塑膠手套，手套抹上一點油。拿起一團肉漿，由虎口擠出小丸。用湯匙背面將肉丸抹平再放到鍋中。重覆此步驟將所有肉漿做成肉丸。
8.	把肉丸煮到浮到水面，約15分鐘。注意水不能是滾的。
9.	將煮好的丸子泡在冰水中。等涼透後，濾乾裝進保鮮袋內，放入冰庫冷凍。

PROCEDURE:

1.	Evenly distribute the ground pork in a plastic bag to form a 1 cm thick layer and store it in a freezer until the pork is completely frozen. Fold the bag in half if there is not enough freezer space.
2.	Take out the ground pork and remove the plastic bag. Wait until you have no problem cutting through the pork, but the pork is still mostly frozen. Cut the ground pork into 1 cm cubes.
3.	If the weather is hot, place the pork cubes in the mixing bowl of a mixer and store the bowl with the pork in a freezer for 30 minutes.
4.	Add the salt into the mixing bowl. Install the flat beater to the mixer and beat the ground pork at low speed for 5 minutes (gradually from speed 1 to speed 3). Turn the speed to 4, and continue beating the pork until it becomes elastic and puree like, approx. 12 minutes. The color of the pork now should be whiter than the original color. It is okay if there are a few pink pieces of meat in the meat puree. If there are many, then you need to beat the pork more.
5.	Mix the tapioca starch with the water. Turn the mixer to speed 1, add the starch water, sugar and white pepper and mix for 1 minute. Turn the speed to 4 and mix until all the ingredients are well blended. You can add diced mushroom, 油蔥酥 Fried Shallots or any other ingredients you like at this stage.
6.	Bring a 2/3-full pot of water to a boil. Turn the heat to low. Cook a piece of meat puree in the water and taste it. By doing so, you have a chance to adjust the seasoning of the meat.
7.	Wear a cooking grade plastic glove and spread a little oil on the glove. Place the meat puree on the gloved palm. Close your palm loosely and form a circle opening with your index finger and thumb. Push the meat puree through the opening and form a small ball. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface of the meat ball, then place the meat ball in the hot water. Repeat this step for the rest of the meat puree.
8.	Cook the meat balls until they are floating above the water, approx. 15 minutes. Do not cook in boiling water.
9.	Transfer the cooked meat balls to a bowl of ice water until they completely cool down. Dry the meatballs and place them in a zip-lock bag. Keep them in a freezer.