Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil, and lightly oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Make the meatballs: Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil, then add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mushrooms start to become golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic, and sauté for another minute, until you can smell the ginger and garlic. Add the sherry and sesame oil, stir to scrap up any bits left on the bottom of the pan, and sauté for about 2 minutes until the liquid evaporates. Allow the mushroom mixture to cool.

3. Finely chop the cooled mushrooms in a food processor or by hand. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, chicken, pork, Panko, pepper, salt, scallions, and eggs. Use your hands to combine the mixture gently but thoroughly. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs (you will have between 50 and 60).

4. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 15 minutes, until almost cooked through.

5. Make the Glaze: While the meatballs bake, in a small saucepan combine the mirin, soy sauce, Ponzu, brown sugar, ginger and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, then lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer until it reduces and thickens slightly into a glaze, 5 to 7 minutes.

6. Remove the meatballs from the oven and brush the glaze over the meatballs. Return the meatballs to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes until the glaze caramelizes a bit. If you want to finish them for 1 minute under the broiler, to get an even more browned exterior, you can go ahead and do that, but watch that they do not burn.

7. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a serving platter and sprinkle over the remaining glaze. Scatter the sesame seeds and slivered scallions over the meatballs if desired. Serve with skewers or toothpicks.