Mom's Sweet and Sour Meatballs from Nancy Hemenway

Way back when, I bought a huge Chinese wok at Import Plaza for $5. I think I may have been 13 years old. Well, that wok was one of the greatest pans Mom ever had. She is an expert at stir-fry, and she can whip up an incredible spaghetti sauce in that wok. But, bu far the best is these wonderful meatballs from the Chinese Gourmet cookbook. Nowadays, I substitute lean ground turkey for the beef, and nobody is the wiser. Notice in the recipe that you will need a green pepper and pineapple chunks at the very end!

Meatballs

Combine:
... 1 pound ground beef
... 1 egg, beaten
... 1 Tbl cornstarch
... 1/2 tsp salt
... 2 Tbls chopped onion
... pinch of sugar

Make into meatballs the size of large marbles.
Saute in 1 tsp of oil until lightly brown.

Sauce

Combine:
... 1 cup pineapple juice (drained from the chunks)
,., 1 Tbl soy sauce (Mom uses more!)
... 3 Tbls vinegar
... 2 Tbls water
... 1/2 cup sugar (Mom uses less!)
... 5 Tbls cornstarch.

Heat in a saucepan over medium heat until the juice begins to thicken. Add the meatballs and allow them to heat through. Cut a green pepper into 1 inch squares and add it and the pineapple chunks just before serving. This is great over white rice for dinner or served in a crockpot using toothpicks at a party.