Ingredients
The following ingredients have 28 Servings
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes (don\'t lose the fat)
- 1 cup chopped white onion
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice, divided
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instruction
- In a 4-quart pot, combine the pork, onion, green pepper, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Pour in enough water until the mixture is covered by about 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 1½ hours, until the meat is very tender.
- Transfer the pork mixture to a food processor, reserving the broth. Add some of the broth, the parsley, scallions, and ¾ cup of the rice and process until mostly smooth (a pâté consistency). Add more broth if needed; I used about ¾ cup total.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, then stir in the remaining ¾ cup of the rice. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Form the mixture into smooth balls a little larger than a walnut but smaller than a golf ball. At this point, you can freeze any that you don't want to cook—just partially thaw before breading.
- In a shallow dish, season the flour with salt and pepper and toss to combine. In another shallow dish, beat the eggs with a little bit of water until blended. Into yet another shallow dish, pour the breadcrumbs. Dust the balls in the flour, then the eggs, and finally the breadcrumbs.
- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the oil and heat over medium-high. Working in batches and adding more oil if needed, pan-fry the balls for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Let drain on paper towels before serving.
