Shanghai Meatballs

I have been keeping this picture for quite some time now. I have been very quite about the recipe of my specialty, Shanghai Meatballs. Since I have time for blogging today, I decided to share this with everyone. I invented this by accident. During that time, there was no wrapper for the always-present-in-our-fridge-food Lumpiang Shanghai mix, and we have to consume it because it's been living there for ages (no, I'm just exaggerating). So I have decided to cook it as meat balls and add tomato sauce to spice it up, so it's not dry and boring. I am very proud of this recipe because I've learned this since I was 5 years old. The best cook I've ever known taught me this, and I am always in the kitchen when I was young (in case you're wondering who that cook was, that was my father, and yes, why didn't I took up Culinary Arts instead, damn!). So this recipe have been running in my blood for decades? Shall I say, a family specialty?

So this Shanghai Meatballs consists of Lumpiang Shanghai mix, fried and formed into balls, then cooked with  spicy tomato sauce. This is how I did it:

Lumpiang Shanghai Recipe

• 1 kilo Ground Pork
• 1 large onion
• 1 large carrot
• Kinchay (my favorite!)
• 2-3 Eggs
• Salt and Pepper
• Singkamas (optional)
• Shrimp (chopped finely; optional)

Add salt on ground pork and let it sit until salt dissolves. Then chopped everything finely. Add the veggies and lastly, the eggs to combine everything. I don't like using a blender for the veggies, I like to finely chop it because I think the blender releases some of its juice, and will make the mixture a little wet? So I like to do it with a knife (then smell your hands after, it feels like heaven). Form them into balls, and fry. As what I've learned from Mario Batali, don't brown the meat too much, for it will be overcooked and will be dry on the inside. 

After frying the meat balls, set aside, prepare the tomato sauce.

1. Saute onions and garlic. Onions should be cut in circles, I don't know how you call it, it looks like you're going to decorate something with onions. The cut that you have on burgers and onion rings. Add red chili pepper.

2. Add the meat balls and stir fry it for a few minutes. Then add tomato sauce. Lower heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add a pinch of nutmeg. I dunno why, but it was an accident when I put it, but does great wonders on the dish. For finishing touch, add a pinch of kinchay. Turn off the heat and serve hot.

Promise, my cousins love it when I cooked it once for lunch. Give this a try, and by the way, just put 1 red chili pepper or your family will die. But if you love spicy foods, then add some more! I hope you like this.