Spicy Rice Balls

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup short-grain, sweet, or sticky rice
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 5 green onions, finely chopped
• One 1-in. piece ginger, peeled and finely shredded (about 1 tbsp.)
• 1 bird's eye or serrano chile, seeded and minced

Preparation

1. 1. In a medium bowl, soak rice in 2 cups water for 2 hours. Drain; put on a plate.
2. 2. In a medium bowl, combine pork, egg, soy sauce, sugar, green onions, ginger, and chile. Cover and chill until rice is ready.
3. 3. Divide pork mixture into 32 pieces. Roll into balls, then roll balls in rice. Put balls in parchment-lined steamers (see “How to Steam Dim Sum,� below). Cook until rice is tender and pork is cooked, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
4. How to Steam Dim Sum: Measure your steamer basket and choose a pot with a diameter at least 2 in. wider. To keep dumplings from sticking, cut a circle of parchment paper 1 in. smaller in diameter than the basket (so steam can flow up around the edges) and fit it in. Pour enough water into pot to come 1 in. up side and bring to a boil over high heat. Fill basket with dim sum first, then set it in the pot. Cover and cook, adding hot water as needed.
5. Note: Nutritional analysis is per ball.