Recipe: Spicy, Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Lingham’s Extra Hot Chili Sauce

I love a good sweet and sour pork! So much so, the dish is a constant favorite in our meals. Making a darn good sweet and sour pork requires skill and I have long admitted that the best are still the ones whipped up in commercial kitchens and restaurants because of the high heat of their industrial burners. Nevertheless, I never gave up making the dish at home. Well, my version at least.

Tasked with a challenge to try out the new Lingham’s Extra Hot Chili Sauce, I decided to give my favorite dish a new makeover. I am always game for spicy food. In fact, my heat tolerance is quite high and I do admit to loving Szechuan tongue-numbing food too. When I tasted Lingham’s Extra Hot Chili Sauce, it was a big hit of heat even with a little taste. Said to be 300% hotter than its original Lingham’s Chili Sauce, this one is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Using the ripest and spiciest birds eye chilies together with its original and naturel ingredients, Lingham’s Extra Hot Chili Sauce stirs up your heat sense like no other. Not just all heat, the Lingham’s Extra Hot Chili Sauce also has a good note of sweetness and is just as flavoursome as the original sauce.

For my version, I am calling it the Spicy, Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Lingham’s Extra Hot Chili Sauce. I love meatballs and always have minced meat ready in my freezer. And so I decided to make my version with meatballs instead of the cubed pork. Feel free to substitute to other minced meat if you do not like pork. The recipe is pretty simple as one mixed up the minced meat and seasoning, shaped into balls and fried. Then cut up all the vegetables and fruit and mix all the sauce ingredients together. Heat up the work on medium to high heat, add in all the meatballs, vegetables, fruits and sauce ingredients. Stir fry till it comes to a boil and turn off heat to serve.

Yes, it’s not rocket-science so it’s really doable in your kitchen. Instead of ketchup, I also use plum sauce as I love the flavour and it goes so well with Lingham’s Chili Sauce. The Worcestershire sauce gave the dish an umami note. The meatballs were nicely moist and tender. The dish had a good balance of sweet and sour and I really enjoy how the Lingham’s Extra Hot Chili Sauce gave this dish a good kick of heat, making it even more appetizing with steamed rice.

Try this recipe and leave me a comment to let me know your feedback. Have fun & enjoy the dish…

Spicy, Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Lingham’s Extra Hot Chili

Ingredients

300gm        Minced Pork

2 Tbsp         Light Soy Sauce

1 Tsp           Five Spice Powder

1 Tbsp         Cornstarch

1 Tsp           Sesame Oil

Pinch of Salt & Pepper to season

5 small        Cherry Tomatoes (sliced half)

1 small        Japanese Cucumber (cut into wedges)

3 small        Red Onions (or 1 large cut into wedges)

100gm        pineapple (tin or fresh – cubed)

1 small        Green Bell Pepper (cut into wedges)

1 Tbsp         Cooking Oil + Extra Cooking Oil for deep frying

Sauce Ingredients

1 Tbsp         Lingham’s Extra Hot Chili Sauce (adjust heat level to your preference)

5 Tbsp         Plum Sauce

1 Tbsp         Worcestershire Sauce

5 Tbsp         Water

2 Tbsp         Syrup (from canned Pineapple or add 1 tsp sugar)

Method

Mix minced pork, light soy sauce, five spice powder, cornstarch, sesame oil, and pinch of salt & pepper together.

Knead the minced pork and take the whole mince to throw it in the mixing bowl for 5 minutes till the mince developed a sticky texture for a bouncy meatball texture.

Shape the minced pork into balls and set aside.

Cut all the tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, bell pepper and pineapple.

Mix all the sauce ingredients together and adjust the flavour to your liking. Set aside.

Heat up cooking oil in small pot till hot and deep fry the meatballs till cook and lightly dark and crispy.

Use a new pan, add the 1 tbsp cooking oil on medium heat and add in the red onions to saute.

Add in the bell pepper, followed by the pineapple, cucumber and cherry tomatoes.

Add in the fried meatballs and stir fry all together till well mixed.

Add in mixed sauce to the ingredients and stir fry till mixed and boiled, then turn off the heat.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Extra notes and tips

• Adjust the Lingham Extra Hot Chili Sauce to your heat level or use the Original Lingham’s Chili Sauce for a milder heat.
• Substitute minced pork for minced chicken or beef.
• Substitute pineapple for lychees for sweetness and less tangy flavour.
• Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on the finished dish for extra toasty and nutty note.