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one plain bowl of white rice mixed with small cooked green broccoli florets and topped with four smooth pork meatballs in glossy dark teriyaki sauce with a few sesame seeds, with no pineapple, raw ginger, scallion garnish or toothpicks
Rachel Kim

Crockpot Teriyaki Meatballs

These pork meatballs poach directly in the hot teriyaki broth, so their outside stays softer than an oven-browned party meatball. Leave them alone during the first part of cooking while the egg and crumbs set the shape. Ginger and mirin keep the sauce distinct from the honey-garlic glaze, with a small cornstarch finish added once the meat is cooked. Broccoli steams over the rice near serving time instead of spending three hours in the crockpot. Spoon the thickened sauce over the bowl just before eating, when the rice still has separate grains and the meatballs can settle on top without being stirred into it.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs ground pork
  • 1/2 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tbsp water for meatball mixture
  • 2 scallions finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger divided
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup mirin
  • 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 2 garlic cloves finely grated
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water for slurry
  • 1 1/2 cups dry long-grain white rice rinsed and drained
  • 2 3/4 cups water for rice
  • 2 cups small broccoli florets
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method
 

  1. Gently mix pork, panko, egg, mixture water, scallions, half the ginger, salt and pepper. Shape 24 equal meatballs and keep refrigerated while heating the sauce.
  2. Bring broth, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, garlic and remaining ginger to a simmer in a saucepan. Pour into a 4-quart slow cooker set to HIGH and immediately lower the raw meatballs into the hot liquid with a spoon, arranging them gently in no more than 2 layers.
  3. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 3 hours until the largest meatballs reach 160°F. Avoid stirring for the first 2 hours so the meatballs set before being moved.
  4. Whisk cornstarch with slurry water and fold gently into the sauce. Cover on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes until glossy and thickened.
  5. During the final half hour, bring rice and rice water to a boil in a saucepan. Cover and cook on low for 13 minutes, quickly scatter broccoli over the rice and cover for 5 minutes more; rest off heat for 10 minutes and fluff gently.
  6. Divide broccoli rice among 6 bowls, add 4 meatballs and sauce to each and divide the measured sesame seeds over the meatballs.