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Gochujang Meatballs

Asian-style meatballs with rice and broccoli

Spicy, savory Korean flavors stand up to the richness of the ground beef in tonight’s recipe. Gochujang(a salty, spicy chile paste) infuses the meatballs as they roast and adds depth to the soy and apricot glaze. The starchy, creamy texture of the sticky rice (a short-grain, Southeast Asian variety) is the perfect bed for the meatballs and crisp-tender roasted broccolini.

Ingredients

  • Rice
  • 6oz Broccolini
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4oz ginger
  • 1/4c panko bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp gochujang, divided
  • 12oz ground beef
  • 1oz apricot preserves
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 4 tsp toasted sesame seeds, divided
  • 1 egg

Directions

Cook the Rice

  1. Preheat oven to 450F
  2. Cook it
  3. When it's done, stir in 2 tsp sesame seeds and fluff with a fork

Prepare Ingredients

  1. Rinse Broccoli
  2. Mince garlic
  3. Mince ginger

Meatballs

  1. Line a baking sheet with foil
  2. In a large bowl, combine panko, garlic, ginger, 1 Tbsp gochujang, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper
  3. Pat beef dry with a paper towel and add it to the bowl
  4. Mix well with your hands, then form into equal-sized balls (10 for adults eating 12oz of beef)
  5. Arrange meatballs on baking sheet
  6. Roast until beginning to brown (~5 minutes)

Broccolini

  1. On a separate baking sheet, ross broccoli with 2 tsp olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
  2. After 5 minutes of meatballs roasting, add broccoli to the oven and continue roasting until bright green and meatballs are slightly browned and cooked through (~10-13 minutes more).

Make gochujang glaze

  1. While things are in the oven, in a small pot over medium heat, whisk together apricot preserves, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and 1 Tbsp gochujang.
  2. Cook, whisking frequently, until sauce is thickened (~4 minutes)
  3. Remove pot from heat

Plate

  1. Pour gochujang glaze over roasted meatballs on baking sheet, turning to coat.
  2. Divide rice between serving plates. Top with roasted broccoli and gochujang meatballs.
  3. Garnish with sesame seeds