cilantro soy pork meatballs (with kale or bok choi)

This is SOOO good I had to share the recipe.

I made it earlier in the winter with bok choy from my winter tunnel. Last night I made it again with kale that I sauteed with garlic and sesame seeds. Last night I also used cilantro fresh picked from my tunnel. That cilantro is amazing! I've never grown such flavorful cilanto with big green leaves. It overwintered very well.

The recipe is partly from Shrinking Singles Pork Meatballs with Ginger Soy here. I'm sure the local pork I used from Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds down the road from me also adds flavor. That, plus lot's of cilantro. I modified the recipe a bit and renamed it for the cilantro. Yumm, I LOVE cilantro.

Meatballs
1 lb ground pork (I used breakfast sausage from a local farm)
2 small eggs (or 1 large one), whisked
4 large cloves minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 onion, finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbs tamari soy sauce
2 Tbs chia seed
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Meatball glaze ¼ cup tamari soy sauce
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 Tbs honey
2 tsp Sriracha sauce

Bok choy
2 large or 5 small bok choy cut into pieces, about 2 inches
2 large clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp crushed hot chili
1 tsp corn starch mixed with ¼ cup water
2 tsp soy sauce

White rice
Peanut oil for sauteing

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix all meatball ingredients. Make into meatballs, about 1.5 inches. Brown in skillet with peanut or similar high heat oil. Place on baking sheet and cook in oven until done, about 20 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking, make the glaze. Combine all ingredients. Cook briefly in the meatball skillet, scraping up any browned meat remaining in the pan. Pour sauce over the meatballs and cook them another 5 minutes in the oven.

Saute garlic and chili in peanut oil until beginning to brown. Remove from pan. Saute larger stem pieces of bok choy until beginning to brown then add the green pieces and return sauteed garlic to pan. Add corn starch mixed with water and soy sauce and stir til thickened, adding more water as needed. Serve over white rice. Note: Last night I made "Asian Kale" instead of the Bok Choi in the recipe above. I boiled the kale 3 minutes, then sauteed with chopped garlic and sesame seeds. I added a bit of soy sauce when it was done.