Weeknight Meatballs With a Miso Glaze and a Little Galangal Bite
Pan-seared pork meatballs in a miso and soy glaze, on the table in 24 minutes. It's an indoor skillet dinner from a fire guy.
Dan Cooks6 min readPrint this post
Grilling is how I show love. A hot cast iron pan does the job on a Tuesday.
A skillet night when the coals stay cold
Not every night gets a fire. Some nights it's a school night, everybody's hungry, and I've got about half an hour. These pork meatballs are what I reach for. They sear in a cast iron pan, get tossed in a salty-sweet miso glaze, and land over rice or bok choy while the kids are still setting the table.
Fusion, Tampa style
Asian fusion is one of my favorite corners of the kitchen. I came up on country cooking from my grandmother Hellon, but I've always liked seeing how ginger, soy and five spice sit next to plain good pork. Pork is pork, whether it comes off a smoker or out of a skillet. Season it boldly and give it a good crust.
Three moves make or break this recipe.
Three things decide whether these come out crusty and glossy or pale and soggy. Read them once before the pan goes on, and watch the timing cue.
Meatballs need 8–10 minutes total for a proper crust and cooked-through center. Glaze comes together in the last 2–3 minutes.
- Brown the meatballs hard on all sides in a hot pan — don't move them until they set and color
- Build the glaze in the same pan: sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant, add miso and soy sauce, let it coat
- Finish with rice vinegar and sesame oil off heat, toss to coat
25 minutes, and you’re ready to cook.
Thirteen small steps, and I do them in this order so the pan is the only thing left to watch. On a school night, that order saves me.
- Gather EquipmentGather a large mixing bowl, a small bowl, a cast iron or stainless steel pan, a cutting board, a chef's knife, a measuring spoon set, a measuring cup, a whisk, and a spoon or spatula for turning meatballs.1 min
- Mince the GarlicPeel and mince 4 cloves Garlic into fine pieces. Place in a small prep container.2 min
- Mince the Fresh GingerPeel and finely mince 1 inch Fresh Ginger into fine pieces. Place in a small prep container.2 min
- Measure GalangalMeasure 1 tsp Galangal (minced) into a small prep container.30s
- Measure Dry Spices and CornstarchMeasure 1 tbsp Cornstarch, 2 tsp Light Brown Sugar, 1 tsp Five Spice Powder, ½ tsp Kosher Salt, and ¼ tsp Black Pepper into a small prep container.1 min
- Measure Soy Sauce for Meatball MixtureMeasure 1.5 tbsp of 1½ tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce into a small prep container (reserve the remaining 2 tbsp for the glaze).30s
- Prepare the Ground PorkPlace 1 lb Ground Pork in a large mixing bowl, ready for combining with other ingredients.30s
- Combine Meatball MixtureIn the large mixing bowl, combine the 1 lb Ground Pork with the minced 4 cloves Garlic, minced 1 inch Fresh Ginger, minced 1 tsp Galangal, 2 tsp Light Brown Sugar, 1.5 tbsp of the 1½ tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce, 1 tsp Five Spice Powder, ½ tsp Kosher Salt, ¼ tsp Black Pepper, and 1 tbsp Cornstarch. Mix until fully combined.2 min
- Roll MeatballsRoll the meat mixture into meatballs about 1.5 inches in diameter (approximately 16–20 balls). Place on a plate or cutting board.5 min
- Measure Neutral OilMeasure 2 tbsp Neutral Oil into a small prep container.30s
- Prepare Glaze IngredientsMeasure 1 tbsp Miso Paste, the remaining 2 tbsp of 2 tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce, 1½ tsp Rice Vinegar, and ½ tsp Sesame Oil into separate small prep containers.1 min
- Slice the Green OnionsTrim and slice ¼ cup Green Onions into thin rounds. Place in a small prep container.2 min
- Stage IngredientsArrange all prepped ingredients near the stove in cooking order: meatballs, neutral oil, miso paste, remaining soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sliced green onions. Have a small bowl of water nearby for dissolving the miso paste.1 min
Tools for this recipe.
Nothing fancy here. The cast iron skillet does most of the work, and the rest is bowls, a whisk and a knife.
- large mixing bowl
- small bowl
- cast-iron skillet
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- whisk
- spatula
How it goes
Mix the pork with garlic, ginger, galangal, brown sugar, half the soy, five spice, salt and pepper. Roll balls about 1.5 inches wide, around 16 to 20. Get your pan medium hot, add the oil, and let the meatballs sit until they set and color before you turn them. Give it 10 to 12 minutes in all. Then pull them out, whisk the miso into 2 tablespoons of water in the same pan, add the rest of the soy and the rice vinegar, and roll the meatballs back through. Sesame oil and green onions go on last.
Vinegar and a starch-thickened glaze don't get along. The rice vinegar waits for a reason, and there's a way around it if you'd rather dodge the problem.
Acid hydrolyzes starch
Rice vinegar will thin a cornstarch-thickened glaze within minutes. Add it off heat, right before service, or use arrowroot instead.
Add acid after thickening and serve promptly. Or swap to arrowroot starch for better acid resistance.
Garlic is the thread in this dish, and these are the partners that sit best beside it. Most of them are already in the pan.
GarlicBlack Pepper
Score 90Both carry piney and earthy notes.
Ground PorkGarlic
Score 88Universal seasoning. Both carry earthy notes.
GarlicSoy Sauce
Score 85Both carry earthy notes.
A few of these ingredients share more than you'd guess. These pairs are why the plain-looking list tastes so settled together.
- garlic + black pepperBoth carry piney, citrusy, earthy and roasted notes.
- ground pork + garlicBoth carry earthy and roasted notes.
- cornstarch + soy sauceBoth carry toasted and browned notes.
What goes on the plate
Steamed bok choy or jasmine rice, and I'd do both if the table's hungry. The rice catches the glaze. Garlic, black pepper and pork are old friends, and the ginger and galangal cut through the richness. The meatballs are rich, so a green vegetable next to them helps.
One more thing
Wet your hands before you roll. The meat won't stick to you, and the balls come out smooth. Taste the glaze before the meatballs go back in. Your miso and soy might run saltier than mine, and a splash of water fixes it.
Here's what one serving brings, at 369 calories. Protein carries the plate.
Food groups measured against a 2,000-calorie day
- • No dairy in this recipe
- • No fruits in this recipe
- • No whole grains in this recipe
Strong in protein and healthy fats, light on dairy, fruits, and whole grains.
Here's what's in the pot, stated plainly. Check it against your own table's needs.
- Contains
- wheat, gluten, soy, sesame
- Fits
- Dairy-Free, Nut-Free
Substitutions that still taste like the recipe.
If the pantry's short, these swaps cover the pork, the aromatics and the galangal.
- pork
Brings creamy, coconutty, fresh and grassy notes; richer.
- ribeye steak
- ground pork and beef
- onion↑ sweet
Brings fruity notes; lacks the piney and citrusy notes; juicier; sweeter-bodied.
- chives↓ savory↓ spicy
Lacks the clove-like and smoky notes; more delicate.
- leek↓ spicy
Lacks the clove-like and smoky notes; juicier; less aromatic.
- fresh turmeric↓ spicy
- fingerroot↓ spicy
Brings fresh and grassy notes; lacks the buttery notes; drier.
- kencur↓ spicy
Brings fresh and grassy notes; lacks the buttery notes; drier.
- fingerroot↓ spicy
- kencur↓ spicy
- lemongrass↓ spicy
Lacks the clove-like and smoky notes.
Here's what the pot costs, so you can plan a weeknight around it.
- Produce
- $1.61
- Meat & Poultry
- $3.99
- Condiments & Sauces
- $0.77
- Oils & Vinegars
- $0.13
- Spices & Seasonings
- $0.13
- Baking
- $0.03
Common questions
How long does this take start to finish?
Can I use something other than galangal?
When should I add the rice vinegar?
What should I serve with the meatballs?
Does this contain common allergens?
How many meatballs does it make?
Get the kids to roll the meatballs. They'll get most of them round, and that's fine. Set the table, pull up a chair, and let the glaze do the rest. Fire up something good, even if it's just a skillet.
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