Korean meatballs with sauce

Wanja

Today’s recipe is for wanja – traditional Korean garlicky meatballs. I think every culture has meatballs! But what makes wanja unique is the Korean seasonings: garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and ground black pepper combine to make a delicious taste similar to bulgogi.

The meatballs are small and my version here makes great party food, especially with my dipping sauces. I’ve been sharing Korean dishes with you for years, and one thing I’ve noticed is that you guys love dipping stuff! So I made two dipping sauces for this wanja: a sweet and sour sauce that’s similar to sauce for tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), and a savory, sticky sauce that’s not sweet at all. Set out skewered meatballs with the sauces and you can serve many people at a party as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre. I love garlic so I added 4 cloves, but if it’s too much for you or your guests, you can tone it down to 1 clove. : )

Wanja was traditionally made for special occasions and holidays, but these days we make them anytime. I used beef but you can use pork, or a mixture of the 2, why not? A few years ago I posted the pancake version of these meatballs, called wanja-jeon, remember? They are also really good.

This dish can also be served as a snack, a lunchbox item, or as a simple side dish with rice. It can be refrigerated for a couple of days or frozen for up to a month. When you’re ready to serve, just thaw them and reheat them in a skillet with a little vegetable oil.

Enjoy your Korean meatballs!

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 green onions, chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 pinches of kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons flour
• ⅓ cup (about 5 tablespoons) cooking oil

For sauce:

Sweet and sour sauce

• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon potato starch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• A drop of toasted sesame oil

Savory sauce

• ½ cup chicken (or beef) broth
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon potato starch
• A drop of toasted sesame oil

Directions

Make meatballs

1. Combine ground beef, garlic, green onion, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper in a bowl and mix it well with a wooden spoon until well incorporated.

2. Scatter the flour on a large baking sheet evenly.
3. Take about ½ tablespoon of the beef mixture with the both hands and roll it into about ½ inch ball. Put it on the floured baking sheet. Repeat it until the mixture is gone. You will get about 56-58 small meatballs. Shake the baking sheet to coat the meatballs.

Cook

1. Beat the eggs with salt in a bowl.

2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil and swirl to coat evenly.
3. Reduce the heat to low.
4. Put some meatballs into the egg mixture bowl. Using a spoon gently stir the meatballs to coat them nicely. Then scoop a ball with a spoon and transfer to the skillet. Add more meat balls one by one to the skillet. Be sure not to get too crowded. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes over low heat, turning and rolling the meatballs with a spatula.

5. Repeat this with all the meatballs are cooked. Add the remaining cooking oil while cooking.
6. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a serving plate.

Make sweet and sour sauce

1. Combine water, oyster sauce, soy sauce, potato starch, sugar, and vinegar in a small pan. Mix it well.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a spoon for about 4 to 5 minutes until small bubbles come up, shiny, and thicker.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in sesame oil. Transfer to a small bowl.

Make savory sauce

1. Combine chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and potato starch in a small pan. Mix it well.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a spoon for about 3 to 4 minutes until small bubbles come up and thicker.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in sesame oil. Transfer to a small bowl.

Serve

Serve the meatballs with either sauce (or both) by themselves or along with rice, noodles, or as a side dish for alcohol. They are also good in Korean lunchboxes (dosirak).

Or If you plan a Korean food party, it makes a perfect appetizer. Just serve with bamboo skewers and individual small plates and a small spoon for the sauce. Diners skewer a meatball, add it to their plate, put some dauce over top and enjoy!