Beef ball facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beef ball |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pre-cooked beef balls
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 牛丸 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | niúwán | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cantonese Yale | ngàuyún | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | beef ball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Beef balls (Chinese: 牛丸; pinyin: Niúwán) are a popular food in Cantonese cuisine and among overseas Chinese communities. They were first created by the Teochew people. As the name suggests, beef balls are made from beef that has been ground very smoothly. Sometimes, other meats like pork are also added.
You can easily tell beef balls apart from fish balls because they have a darker color. Another cool thing about them is that some beef balls have tiny bits of tendon inside. These bits get super soft and almost disappear when the beef balls are cooked for a long time.
How Beef Balls Are Made
Most meatballs made in Asia, whether from pork, beef, or fish, have a very different texture compared to meatballs from Europe. Instead of just mincing and shaping the meat, the meat for Asian meatballs is pounded. It's pounded until it becomes very smooth, almost like a paste. This special process is what gives the meatballs their unique smooth and bouncy texture.
Pounding the meat helps to straighten out the protein strands that are normally tangled. When these straightened strands are cooked with heat, they form a smooth, gel-like texture. This is similar to how surimi (fish paste used for fish balls) is made.
Where Are Beef Balls Popular?
Beef balls are a common ingredient in Hong Kong. They are often served with wonton noodles and other types of noodle soups that include fish balls. You can find beef balls in traditional markets and supermarkets.
They are also a very popular ingredient for hot pot dishes, where people cook their food in a simmering broth at the table. Beef balls are used in many different ways in Chinese cooking.
