Rice & Fried Rice · Chinese home cooking
Pearl Meatballs Sticky Rice Pork Balls
Minced pork rolled into balls, jacketed in soaked glutinous rice and steamed until the grains turn glassy pearls, served with scallion and a light soy dip.
About this dish
These balls get their name from the coating: each is rolled in soaked glutinous rice that puffs and turns translucent in the steam, so the surface catches the light like small pale beads. The pork inside stays soft because it is minced, not compacted, and ginger and scallion steam out through the gaps. You will smell the rice before you see it, a clean, slightly sweet aroma with no fried edge. The trick is a damp hand and enough patience to let the grains stand up.
Before you start
Equipment: Steamer. Tap the ingredient checkboxes as you go.
Method
7 steps · tick each one off as you finish it.
Drain the rice
Spread 180 g of soaked glutinous rice on a tray off the heat and let it drain for 10 minutes, shaking once. You know it is ready to coat when the grains feel damp but no free water pools under them.
Mix the filling
Mix 400 g of pork with 40 g of scallion, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of ginger, 1 tsp of cornflour and 1/2 tsp of salt off the heat for 2 minutes, until the paste looks tacky and holds a streak.
Shape the balls
Dampen your hands with 1 tbsp of water and roll the filling into 12 balls of about 35 g each off the heat for 5 minutes. They are done when each surface is smooth and shows no cracks.
Coat in rice
Press each ball into 180 g of drained rice off the heat, turning for 20 seconds until grains cover the surface. You will see it is ready when no pink meat peeks through the white coat and the grains stand up like tiny spikes.
Steam the pearls
Set the balls in a steamer basket above 500 ml of simmering water, spacing them 3 cm apart, and steam over high heat for 20 minutes. They have had enough when the rice turns translucent and glistens rather than looking chalky.
Rest and glaze
Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 3 minutes so the steam settles; you will hear the hiss fade. Brush 1 tbsp of sesame oil over the tops for 20 seconds until the grains no longer stick to a finger.
Plate and serve
Lift the meatballs onto a plate off the heat, scatter 20 g of scallion greens over 30 seconds and serve with 1 tbsp of soy sauce for dipping. They are ready once the coating looks glassy and each ball holds its round shape.
Tips that matter
- Soak the glutinous rice for the full 2 hours; dry grains stay hard and white in the steamer instead of turning translucent pearls.
- Wet your palms between every two balls, since a thin film of water stops the mince sticking and keeps the coating even.
Easy variations
- Replace half the pork with 200 g of minced prawn for a lighter filling that steams in the same 20 minutes over high heat.
- Roll the balls in 60 g of finely diced water chestnut mixed into the pork for a distinct crunch inside the soft coating.
Questions that come up
Why did the rice coating fall off?
The balls were probably too wet or packed too loosely. Drain the soaked rice thoroughly and press each ball firmly so the grains bite into the surface before steaming.
Can I freeze them?
Yes, freeze the shaped raw balls on a tray, then steam from frozen over high heat for 25 minutes, adding 5 minutes to the usual time.
Nutrition, roughly
| Energy | 290 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbohydrate | 34 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
Estimated per serving from standard ingredients, rounded. Treat it as a guide, not clinical data.
Rice, Water and Heat: A Ratio Field Guide
Why one cup of rice does not always want one cup of water, and how to tell a cooked pot from a steamed one before you lift the lid.
