Baked meatballs are bloody basic to make. Roasting the meatballs at a high temperature means you still get browned and crispy outsides without having to faff about with hot oil.

Baked hoisin pork meatballs with greens & brown rice is midweek dinner perfection and any leftovers will make for a lunch that will be envy of your workmates the next day. 

Baked hoisin pork meatballs with greens & brown rice

Makes enough for four servings

For the hoisin sauce:

tamari or soy sauce 4 tablespoons (check the tamari is gluten free if that’s a concern)

peanut butter 2 tablespoons

brown sugar 1 tablespoon

rice wine vinegar 2 teapsoons

a garlic clove, grated

sesame oil 2 teaspoons

hot chilli sauce 1 teaspoon or more – I added more (check it’s gluten free if that’s a concern)

freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients into a bowl and use a whisk to thoroughly combine. Set aside. 

For the meatballs:

free range pork mince 500-600g

plain flour or brown rice flour 4 tablespoons

hoisin sauce half of the batch you’ve just made

fresh ginger 2 tablespoons, finely grated

keffir lime leaves 2, central stalk removed and finely chopped

neutral cooking oil such as grapeseed

Preheat oven to 240°C and line a large oven tray with baking paper or tinfoil. Place all ingredients except the oil into a large bowl and use your hands to mix together until thoroughly combined. Wash your hands, rub a little of the oil over them, then roll the pork mixture into walnut-sized balls and place onto the prepared tray. Bake meatballs for around 6-8 minutes, flipping them over at the halfway mark. Check that the meatballs are cooked right through by cutting one in half. 

For the vegetables and rice:

neutral cooking oil such as grapeseed 2 tablespoons

long stem broccoli or choi sum 1 bunch cut lengthwise

spring onions 4, trimmed and cut into 5cm long batons. Reserve some for garnish. 

hoisin sauce the remaining half batch 

water 1/2 cup

cooked brown rice to serve

Heat oil in a large frying pan over a high temperature and add the broccoli and stir fry until it starts to soften slightly. Add three quarters of the chopped spring onion and stir fry for a further minute. Add the hoisin sauce and water to the pan, stir to combine and then remove from the heat. 

To serve:

Serve the meatballs and greens on brown rice topped with spoonfuls of the sauce from the pan and the reserved sliced spring onion.