Qinchong Meatballs

Qinchong Meatballs

　　Cuisine: Huaiyang Cuisine

Meat/Fish: Meat

The making of Qinchong Meatballs boasts a history of thousands of years. They are known for being smooth, tender, elastic, white in color, rich in broth, and delicious in taste. A local folk rhyme praises them: “Toss a Qinchong Meatball over the wall — when you pick it up, it’s still round and shiny; drop it on the ground and it bounces a few times — put it in your mouth and it’s tender and fragrant.”

Qinchong Meatballs are made with carefully selected ingredients and fine craftsmanship, using a variety of seasonings. First, high-quality main ingredients are chosen: lean pork from the hind leg. During preparation, the meat is washed in cold water, cut into small pieces, then pounded into a paste using the back of a knife or an iron rod. When pounding, apply even and appropriate force in one continuous motion. Then mix in an appropriate amount of fatty pork, coarse and fine salt, chicken stock, egg white, alkaline powder, pure soybean flour, ginger, scallions, and other seasonings. Stir everything evenly, then let it ferment for 4–5 hours before cooking. Whether simmered in broth or deep-fried, the result is a delicious dish.