AP – Japanese chicken meatballs, called tsukune, are a standard offering in izakayas and restaurants specialising in yakitori. The meatballs are grilled on skewers and finished with tare, a savoury-sweet soya-based seasoning sauce.
Unlike tender meatloaf or burgers, these meatballs have a pleasing bounciness, so don’t feel the need to be gentle when combining ingredients to make the meat mixture. In this recipe from Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year, we vigourously mix dark meat chicken with grated garlic and ginger, fresh scallions, panko breadcrumbs and an extra savoury combination of sesame oil and white pepper. This gives the meatballs their characteristic structure and chew.
Instead of skewering and grilling the tsukune, we shape the mixture into small, thick meatballs, then do all the cooking in a non-stick skillet on the stovetop. Take care not to brown the meatballs aggressively or they’ll cook unevenly from edge to centre. Heat the oil for browning them over medium-high, then reduce the burner to medium as soon as the meatballs are in the pan.
Once lightly browned on the bottom, flip each meatball and add a mixture of soy sauce that has been simmered with smashed garlic and bruised ginger. Cook, occasionally turning the meatballs and basting them with the sauce, until the exteriors are glazed. To add a little spice to the tsukune, offer shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice blend) or yuzu kosho (Japanese chilli and citrus paste) at the table.
JAPANESE-STYLE CHICKEN MEATBALLS
Ingredients
– Half cup rice vinegar
– Quarter cup soya sauce
– Two medium garlic cloves, one smashed and peeled, one finely grated
– Two-inch piece fresh ginger, two teaspoons finely grated, the remainder thinly sliced and bruised
– One pound ground chicken, preferably dark meat
– Four scallions, minced, divided
– One-third cup panko breadcrumbs
– One large egg white
– One tablespoon toasted sesame oil
– Ground black or white pepper
– Two tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, plus more for oiling your hands
Directions:
Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment and mist with cooking spray; set aside.
In a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, smashed garlic and bruised ginger.
Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until reduced to one-third cup, six to eight minutes. Remove and discard the garlic and ginger; transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Rinse out and dry the skillet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, grated garlic, grated ginger, quarter cup of the scallions, panko, egg white, sesame oil and quarter teaspoon pepper.
Using your hands or a silicone spatula, vigourously stir and knead the mixture until well combined and sticky. Using lightly oiled hands, divide the mixture into 16 portions (about two tablespoons each), form each into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Lightly press each ball to slightly flatten it into a one to one-quarter-inch round.
In the same skillet over medium-high, heat the neutral oil until shimmering.
Place the meatballs in the skillet, reduce to medium and cook until lightly browned on the bottoms, about four minutes.
Flip each meatball and add the rice vinegar-soya mixture; continue to cook, occasionally turning the meatballs and basting them with the sauce, until the centres reach 72 degree Celcius and the exteriors are glazed, five to seven minutes; reduce the heat if the soy mixture is reducing too quickly.
If desired, transfer the meatballs and glaze to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions. – Christopher Kimball
