Turkey-Ginger Meatballs

• 0.5 cup soy sauce
• 0.5 cup mirin
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. mizuame (or corn syrup in a pinch)
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 scallions, trimmed and minced
• 1" knob ginger, minced
• vegetable oil, for greasing

Pre-heat your broiler for 10 minutes when you're ready to cook.

In a medium saucepan, bring the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by one-third, about 20 minutes. Stir in the mizuame and cook until the mizuame dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the glaze cool.

In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey with the salt, pepper, scallions, and ginger until thoroughly combined. Form the meat into about 12 oblong meatballs, about 1.5 oz. each, and place the meatballs on a lightly greased foil-lined baking sheet.

The trick lies in knowing your broiler; don't cook the turkey balls enough and you'll kill your diners with raw turkey, overdo them and you'll disgust them with dried-out bits of leather.

Depending on your broiler, either set the broiler-shelf down low or set your broiler on low broil and broil the meatballs, turning and basting them every 3 minutes with the glaze, until the meatballs are cooked through and dark golden brown. Depending on all the variables, this'll take about 10 minutes. The first time you make this, err on the side of overcooking, as raw turkey is a no-no and slightly overcooked is still edible, although not delicious—note the results and the timing and adjust next time. Transfer the meatballs to a platter and serve them with rice and a cucumber salad or some eda mame.