The Briny Lemon: Pork and Miso Meatballs over Rice

The ingredients list may look long for this Japanese-inspired meatball dish, but check out the short preparation and cooking instructions. All you’re really doing here is combining about half the ingredients for the meatballs and the other half for the sauce. Cooking is over in 20 minutes. But the flavor—sweet, spicy, rich, tangy, dare I say umami?—is something you’ll want to hang around for a while.

Here, I used yellow miso as a binder (and flavor enhancer) for the meatballs, instead of eggs. What is it? A salty, sweet, creamy condiment found throughout Japanese cuisine, made from fermented soybean paste. It's easy to find in Asian markets or well-stocked supermarkets, and doesn't cost too much for a small bag.

Yellow Miso

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork
1/4 cup panko, or other fine, dry breadcrumbs
2 Thai chiles, finely chopped
1 scallion, finely chopped, plus chopped green parts for garnish
2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp yellow miso
2 tsp finely chopped peeled ginger
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
sea salt
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp jarred chili-garlic sauce
1 tbsp white sugar
white sticky rice, for serving

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
Combine the first 9 ingredients (through sesame oil) in a medium bowl and season with salt. Mix gently with your fingers and divide into 12 meatballs.
Place the meatballs on the pan and bake until browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Meanwhile, combine the lime juice and next 5 ingredients (through white sugar) in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat then reduce the heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. (Reheat gently over low heat if not using right away.)