Sweet and Sour Ham Ball Stir-Fry | Make Ahead Mondays
The whole family loves this dish brimming with the sweet and salty ham balls, crisp-tender rainbow bell peppers and onions, tart pineapple pieces, all enrobed in an Asian-inspired sauce of chicken stock, soy sauce, Sriracha, and sesame oil. This beautiful meal is thrown together faster than it takes the pot of rice or noodles on which you'll serve it to be done because it makes use of previously cooked ham balls.
Ingredients
- 3 medium sized bell peppers I prefer one each of red, orange, and green., any colours , stems and seeds removed and thinly sliced into strips
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and thinly sliced into strips
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons canola peanut, vegetable or grapeseed oil, divided
- 24 frozen or refrigerated ham balls along with any syrup with which they were frozen or refrigerated
- 1 can pineapple chunks packed in juice 20 ounces, *See Notes, drained with the juice preserved
- 1 to 1 3/4 cups low-sodium or home canned chicken stock or broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1-3 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce depending on heat preference
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- hot cooked rice or noodles for serving
Instructions
- Pour the pineapple juice into a 4-cup capacity liquid measuring cup. Add enough chicken stock or broth to bring the liquid level to 2 cups. Whisk the sesame oil and Sriracha into the pineapple juice/chicken stock mixture and set aside. In a separate small bowl, use a fork or whisk to create a paste from the soy sauce and cornstarch. Set this aside as well.
- Add the teaspoon of canola (or other) oil to the bottom of a high-sided, large skillet or frying pan over high heat. Toss in the sliced onion and stir fry it until fragrant and beginning to take on just a tinge of colour round the edges, about 2 minutes. Add in the thinly sliced bell peppers, garlic, and salt and stir fry,still over high heat, until the pepper strips are hot all of the way through, but still very crisp.
- Transfer the peppers, onions and garlic to a heat proof bowl and set aside, uncovered. This prevents the peppers from overcooking.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining teaspoon of oil, heat until shimmery and add the ham balls along with any syrup with which they were frozen or refrigerated. Lower the heat to medium high and stir until the syrup has boiled and reduced to a dark, very thick and sticky consistency. Add the pineapple chunks to the pan and quickly stir fry.
- The pineapple should become coated in the sticky ham ball syrup. Whisk the reserved cornstarch and soy sauce paste into the pineapple juice and chicken stock mixture then pour over the ham balls and pineapple and stir.
[img src="https://www.foodiewithfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/sweet-and-sour-hamball-and-pepper-stir-fry-3.jpg"] - Bring the sauce to a boil and then drop the heat to medium low and simmer until it is thick enough to leave a trail when you pull your finger through it down the back of a spoon. Return the peppers, onions and garlic to the pan, toss to distribute everything evenly and cook just until the peppers and onions are hot all the way through again.
- Serve over freshly cooked hot rice or the noodles of your choice with additional soy sauce and Sriracha.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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