Selection of Ingredients

For the quality of meatballs to be guaranteed, selecting ingredients is crucial.Fish should be chosen from fresh varieties with high meat yield and strong water absorption, such asYellow Croaker,Big Head Carp, Tilefish, or Black Rockcod.Shrimp should be selected in their pure white form,such as shrimp roe.Mammalian lean meat must be chosen from fat-free tender cuts;while the fat should be thick and free of bloodstains.Eggs, vegetables, etc., also need to be fresh.Initial Processing1. Fish: Clean the fish, slice it along its spine from head to tail to remove two clean pieces of meat, keeping the skin on for a flat surface.Note: Stop when you see blood vessels, then finely chop and cut with a light hand until the flesh turns white and becomes sticky.2. Lean pork, chicken breast, shrimp roe, and lamb require chopping first and then mincing to break down muscle fibers.This releases proteins into a strong gel that easily absorbs water.

However, some meatball dishes do not need excessive fineness; for example, making fried meatballs or Beijing Four Treasures Meatballs, where too fine results in poor texture.

3. For tougher and older muscle fibers like beef, thorough mincing improves tenderness by breaking down fibers and increasing heat exposure surface area, shortening cooking time.4. Vegetable and vegetarian meatball processing is simpler; just chop or blend to the required consistency for the dish.5. Some ingredients do not require mincing at all, such as yam, potato, tofu, etc., which can be mashed after being cooked.

Half-Finished Product - Meat PasteMeat paste is a semi-finished product in meatball making.It comes in soft, hard, and coarse varieties.We will discuss the preparation techniques for each type.Soft Meat Paste PreparationSoft meat paste requires high-paste technique. Before and after pasting are different.After pasting, the meat becomes white, viscous, and finer in texture, expanding more than before.The key is consistent direction while blending to force water intake.Add water, salt, oil, and egg whites scientifically. The amount of water depends on the quality of the meat paste and the dish's standards. For 500 grams of fish paste, typically add about 400 grams of water.Salt should be mixed with water for even distribution inside the paste.The correct ratio of salt is between 3 to 4 grams per 500 grams of meat paste.

After proper mixing and strength training, add well-beaten egg white foam and white oil. Adding egg whites increases viscosity and makes it whiter and softer.Adding white oil makes the meatball tenderer and adds fragrance.Hard Meat Paste Preparation

For hard meat paste used for frying or deep-frying, don't add too much water; too much will cause expansion during frying but shrinkage when cooled.The fat-to-meat ratio should be appropriate. Do not omit the fat as it makes the meatball softer and fragrant.This method applies to beef, chicken, etc., but fish or shrimp-based hard pastes require additional ingredients like egg whites and bread crumbs for expansion.Starch quantity must be accurate; too much will form a hard outer shell with sticky inside.Too little makes the meatballs loose and shapeless.

Coarse Meat Paste PreparationCoarse meat paste is commonly used. It involves blending seasonal vegetables, adding flour, tofu, vermicelli, and seasonings.These can be fried and combined with other ingredients like Braised Chinese Cabbage Balls, Radish Balls, Tofu Vermicelli Balls, etc.Blending should not be too fine, nor add much water.Meatball FormationForming meatballs requires hands for uniformity.Use the thumb and index finger to squeeze out the paste into smooth balls; use a spoon to scoop them into boiling water or oil.

For some dishes like Yangzhou Lion's Head, form by hand, rolling with both hands until round and smooth.

Meatballs can also be formed in oval, orange slice, or jade pendant shapes.Cooking MeatballsCook meatballs using either boiling or frying methods. Each method has its optimal heat level.

For fish balls, use brisket water; cold water may cause loss of flavor and tenderization.

Boiling at a rolling boil is also not ideal as it causes the ball to collapse.After adding the meatballs, reduce the heat if boiling intensifies. Once all are in and floating, transfer to cold water for use in dishes.For other raw materials, similar techniques apply.Frying requires managing oil temperature; pay attention to both the oil's color and the meatball’s own color.Controlling heat and color is essential for a chef. Changing cooking methods can alter dish colors, such as for Big Head Carp balls.Once mastered, you can create more innovative meatballs.Due to the directional arrangement of water molecules, stirring should be done in one direction when mixing.

Scientifically adding water, salt, oil, and egg whites is crucial for ensuring the quality of the soft dough.You must determine the amount of water based on the quality of the dough and the standard of the dish.For example, 500 grams of fish paste generally require about 400 grams of water.Of course, this is not absolute; it also depends on the type of fish, temperature, and the condition of the minced fish meat.The addition of salt should be coordinated with the water.My experience shows that mixing salt and water before marinating is a more scientific way to mix ingredients.Mixing salt and water gradually penetrates from outside to inside, adjusting according to the amount of water the dough can absorb.Generally, 3 to 4 grams of salt per 500 grams of dough is appropriate.Once the dough has been thoroughly beaten and tightened, then add well-beaten egg foam and white oil and mix them evenly.

Adding egg foam mainly utilizes the property that egg whites coagulate when heated into a solid state to increase the dough's viscosity consciously, making it more white, soft, and fluffy.Additionally, adding white oil at the end can make the balls tender upon consumption and enhance their aroma.

2. Hard Dough Preparation

Hard dough is used as an initial raw material for dishes that are usually stir-fried, deep-fried, braised, or stewed.Since hard dough prepared dishes have dry, crispy, and tender characteristics on the outside and inside, it's important not to add too much water when preparing hard dough.If too much water is added, the resulting product will expand during frying but contract back into a softer state when cooled.The ratio of lean to fat meat in hard dough should be moderate; no fat should be excluded.This is because fat can make the balls soft and add aroma during frying.

These methods are also applicable to beef, chickenetc. for hard dough preparation, but there are slight differences when using fish or shrimp as ingredients.To prevent the balls from having a lifeless texture, ，

Furthermore, since hard dough does not need to absorb too much water, the amount of starch must be accurately controlled.Due to its strong hygroscopicity, if too much starch is added, the exterior of the ball will become stiff after heating while the interior becomes sticky, affecting the texture.Conversely, if too little starch is used, the balls may disintegrate and lose their shape, reducing their flavor.3. Coarse Dough PreparationCoarse dough is commonly used in ball dishes and is relatively easy to prepare.It generally consists of chopped fresh vegetables, mixed with flour, tofu, vermicelli, and seasonings.

Dishes made from coarse dough can be served alone or paired with other ingredients, such as stir-fried cabbage balls, radish balls, and vermicelli tofu balls.

They are versatile for simmering, braising, or frying.It's important when preparing coarse dough not to chop the vegetables too finely and not to use too much water.Four. Ball FormationRegardless of the cooking method used to make balls, they should first be shaped by hand.Some people prefer using a ladle or their fingers to shape the balls, but this results in uneven sizes and an unsightly appearance with rough surfaces.In fact, forming balls by hand is not difficult.A simple method is: use your left hand to grasp a portion of the prepared dough and squeeze it out between your thumb and index finger.Apply force skillfully, both strong and gentle.Curve your index finger while moving your thumb back and forth, ensuring the ball is smooth. The other three fingers should assist in squeezing and using a ladle to transfer the formed balls into boiling water or oil.Not all balls are made by hand; for example, Yangzhou Lion's Head uses a rolling method where both hands roll the dough into round and smooth shapes.Balls can also be shaped as oval, orange slice, jade pendant, etc. forms.Five. Fire Control and Coloring in Cooking BallsWhen cooking balls, various heating methods are often used, but boiling and frying are most common.

Each cooking method has its best heat level, which can vary depending on the ingredients.

For example, for fish balls cooked by boiling, using a brisk boil with edge water is ideal.If fish balls are added to cold water, the internal and external temperatures balance as they cook. This causes nutrients inside the ball to be released into the water, reducing their flavor.On the other hand, adding raw fish balls to boiling water isn't advisable because it can damage the delicate texture of the balls.From a nutritional perspective, heating aims to make the dough mature and decompose its nutrients for better absorption by the body.When fish balls are added to hot water, they contract immediately, preventing internal nutrients from easily leaching into the broth.During the boiling process, if the water starts to boil vigorously, add a little cold water to keep it from boiling. After all the fish balls have been added and floated to the surface, remove them and place them in cold water for use in cooking.

The same method can be applied when cooking other types of ball dishes.Frying mainly requires controlling the oil temperature and paying attention to the color of both the oil and the balls themselves.Controlling the fire and color of ball dishes is something chefs must consciously manage.

For example, the color of a fish processed into a ball can be changed by altering the cooking method.

Ball dishes, despite their many variations, become more creative when you grasp their preparation methods.One should know that every cooking method has its best heat level, which can vary with the ingredients.For example, in the case of fish balls,using boiling water is the best heat level for blanching them.If cold water is used to blanch fish balls, the temperature balance between the inside and outside of the ball will cause moisture and nutrients to move outward as the water gradually heats up.The external pressure from the hot water will expel the freshness inside the fish balls and dissolve it in the water, thus reducing their taste.However, using boiling water directly is also not ideal because the delicate texture of the fish balls cannot withstand the impact of the boiling water, affecting their shape.From a nutritional perspective, the purpose of heating is to cook the fish balls, causing nutrients to denature and break down for easier absorption by the body.When the fish balls encounter heat upon being placed in the pot, they will immediately contract, making it difficult for internal nutrients to be released into the broth.To blanch fish balls, if there is a boiling phenomenon in the soup pot, add a little cold water to prevent vigorous boiling. Once all the fish balls are added and float to the surface, remove them and submerge them in cold water before using them for further cooking.The method described above can also be applied when blanching other types of meat or vegetable balls.

Frying meat or vegetable balls mainly requires controlling the oil temperature. Attention should also be paid to the color of both the frying oil and the balls themselves.Controlling the heat level and color in ball dishes is something a cook must consciously manage.For example, by processing sea bass into balls, the finished dish's color can change through different cooking methods.

Despite the great variety in ball dishes, once you understand their core principles, you can apply them to create even more delicious and innovative ball dishes.