Yep Sweet and Sour meatballs!!! Have you ever gone to a Chinese restaurant and you order something sweet and sour and just wonder "how the heck do they do this?" I did all of the time! What a yummy flavor, it's seems like only in dreams LOL
Well it's much easier than you think! In this dish all I did was make some savory meatballs with pork and chicken! I like that combo, and being Italian pork is my favorite...I seem to chose that over beef or any other meat. You can use whatever you like, this is not a law!
I mixed a bag of sweet potatoes and cauliflower rice and a can of crushed pineapples with their juice into the meat, along with some breadcrumbs (for sturdiness), milk or cream, whatever is your fancy, and 2 eggs to hold it all together. Of course I added salt and pepper to taste! Realize there are no real rules to cooking (only baking) so use the appropriate amount of meat for your family! I have a very large family so I had about 5 pounds of meat. With that being said, you want to adjust the amount of sweet potato and cauliflower rice and I would not use an entire can of crushed pineapples, maybe half or less depending on how much meat you have! I rolled them into nice size meatballs, about the size of my palm, then fried them in olive oil.
In another pot I started my rice, again how much depends on how many...of course if you want leftovers AND YOU WILL! make more! I used 4 cups of rice! Instead of steaming my rice in water or broth, I steamed it in half pineapple juice and half water. Using the typical 2 for 1 recipe for every one cup of rice I use two cups of liquid and steam or cook for 20 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. A fun additional way to cook rice is in an Instant Pot! WOW what a nice sticky texture in that puppy! HEHE
Then right next door to the meatballs and the rice, I started yet another pan...now this is where it starts to get really yummy! In a fry style pan I added (once again to taste) so about 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of rice vinegar, or white if that's all you have, a few dashes or for those that don't like dash! then about 1 tablespoon plus a bit of soy sauce. I let that simmer until the sugar is dissolved. To all of this I pour in a whole can of pineapple juice and a few dashes of Sriracha or some other hot sauce, again whatever you have in your pantry and depending on your heat desire, some like it hot, others not so much and then there's me, I like to KNOW theres hot sauce in there, so my dashes are much larger! I let that come to a very low simmer, not boil....then I make a slurry! OK who knows what a slurry is????? Should I have a test after this? HEHE NO....just have fun, a slurry is a mixture of cornstarch, (or cream of tartar, or arrowroot) and liquid, I do save about 1/2 cup of juice for this, I add about a tablespoon of the thickening powder and mix it up until it's smooth and creamy. Once again, if it doesn't come out exactly as it sounds then add either more liquid or more starch, DON'T FEAR THE FOOD. Then add this to the pineapple mixture and let is thicken up a bit, this may take about 3-5 minutes, this is just to add some consistency to the sweet and sour sauce.
Once all of this is ready, your meatballs and your sauce, you add the fried meatballs to the sweet and sour sauce and let that simmer for about 1/2 hour, or more. The longer is sits in that bath the better those meatballs are going to taste. About half way through the simmer add some chopped red bell peppers and about I can of drained pineapples or fresh, again whatever makes you happy! I just happened to have cans of pineapple in my pantry! Thinly slice up some green onions, these are for the LOOK!!!
Now for the finale! In a bowl put however much rice you want, then slather on some of that yummy sweet and sour sauce and a few meatballs, sprinkle on some green onions for a beautiful dish....add a glass of white wine (or red) whatever is your fancy, and ENJOY!!!!!!
And always remember DO NOT FEAR FOOD!!!
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