Asian Meatballs on Snowpeas

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork
6 oz. sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 small shallot, minced
¼ cup finely chopped water chestnuts
4 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro
Kosher salt
5 oz. snow peas (at least 48)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 garlic clove, minced
½  cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
½ teaspoons chili paste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, use a fork to combine the pork, sausage, 1 teaspoon of the ginger, shallot, water chestnuts, 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, and the cilantro. Use your hands to form the mixture into 1-inch balls, placing the meatballs in a large roasting pan.

Cook the meatballs in the roasting pan for 20-25min., shaking the pan every 5 min. to rotate the meatballs and brown the sides evenly.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the snow peas to the water and cook just until bright green, about 30 seconds. Drain the snow peas and immediately transfer them to an  ice bath to prevent further cooking, Drain and set aside.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and transfer the meatballs to a medium bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside. Place the roasting pan, and any collected fat, over medium heat. Add the garlic and remaining ginger to the pan. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock to the pan, stirring up any cooked on bits that have collected on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, brown sugar, and the chili paste. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisk in the cornstarch mixture, and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Pour the warm sauce over the meatballs. (The meatballs may be held in the sauce in the roasting pan, covered with foil, over very low heat for 1 hour.)

Skewer each snow pea with a toothpick. Serve the skewers alongside the warm meatballs.