Without question, one of the most impactful changes we can make towards a more planet-friendly way of eating is to significantly reduce the amount of red meat we consume. Bear with us while we get technical for just a second – to get just 50g of protein from beef, we produce on average 40 lbs (17.7 kg) of C02 – that’s almost twice that of lamb and farmed prawns, and six times as much as poultry. While plant-based options have the lowest impact, if you do eat meat and want to lighten your food related carbon footprint, chicken is the way to go (particularly if you avoid factory farmed chicken, which we don’t recommend at all).

 This recipe is a favorite from the My Master Recipes cookbook, which calls for you to grind the chicken meat yourself, giving you total control over the type of cut and  provenance of the meat as well as avoiding any unwanted fillers that may make their way into industrially prepared grinds. The real secret here though is to steam the meatballs first so they remain tender and succulent on the inside, then briefly sear them in a pan to create a crunchy, caramelized exterior.

 Ginger and Cilantro Chicken Meatballs

Makes 25 to 30 meatballs | Equipment: A food processor; a bamboo steamer

Ingredients

1 pound (500 g) boneless, skinless free-range, organic chicken breast meat
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, or 1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (40 g) plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup (125 ml) minced scallions, white and green parts
1 large egg, free-range and organic
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
1 cup (250 ml) loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon Kaffir Lime Powder (optional)
A richly-flavored homemade chicken or vegetable broth, warmed, for serving

Method

1.     Cut the chicken into 1-inch (2 cm) cubes. Spread the meat in a single layer on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 1 hour. The chicken should be stiff. (Freezing will help the food processor blade cut the meat cleanly rather than tearing or smearing it.)

2.     Place the cubes in the food processor and process for about 15 seconds, until the chicken is coarsely ground. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and the remaining ingredients (except the stock), and use your hands to blend the mixture.

 3.     To prevent the mixture sticking, wet your hands with cold water, then shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch (3 cm) balls, about the size of golf balls.

 4.     In a medium saucepan, bring 1 quart (1 l) water to a boil over high heat.

 5.     Arrange the meatballs side by side in the steamer, cover, and place on top of the saucepan. Steam until cooked through, about 5 minutes In a skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat and sear the meatballs for a few minutes to until golden and caramelized. Serve in the chicken stock or vegetable stock, and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

This recipe was first published in My Master Recipes and is part of Nourish the Planet, a collaborative series by Patricia Wells and Emily Buchanan. © 2020 – All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce without permission.

Find our more here about why we created this series.