Mo Yun never liked greasy and heavily-flavored food, so Aunt Qiu rarely made dishes like braised pork balls. But he was so hungry at that moment that Mo Yun would eat anything placed before him.
However, the first bite itself brought him plenty of surprise. The meatball was soft but not to the state of being a paste, there was still a spring to the minced meat. Furthermore, instead of the usual greasiness, there was a freshness to the flavor profile. He was very impressed.
Mo Li had placed a lot of consideration into her cooking. If the meatball was made with only pork, the texture would be hard and the meat would get stuck behind the teeth. Plus the meatball would be overly oily. The dish was already deep-fried so that would not make a good dining experience.
Therefore, Mo Li replaced the lard with fish. It would provide a springiness to the meatball without the greasiness. The mackerel skin added a crispy texture, and the fish maw melted on the tongue.
