Teriyaki Meatballs 照り焼き豆腐ハンバーグ

For the meatballs

• 14 oz minced chicken thigh 400g. I love The Meat Club's chicken mince because it's made from the thigh meat of cage-free Australian chickens with no growth hormones.
• 10.5 oz firm tofu 300g. Use firm or medium firm tofu. Do NOT use soft tofu if this is your first time making the recipe. (It'll be quite wet and difficult to work with.) My chicken-tofu ratio makes small meat patties. For rounder meat balls, reduce the tofu to 5 oz.
• 1¼ teaspoon fresh ginger juice Grate the fresh ginger and keep the pulp.
• 1 egg At room temperature. If allergic to eggs, you'll need to use a binding agent like Panko breadcrumbs.
• 1 green onion Sliced thinly.
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon white pepper This adds a slightly warm flavor but feel free to omit it if you don't have it. You can also use black pepper- the 2 aren't really substitutes but Japanese use more black pepper. (I use white pepper because I prefer it!)
• 1 Tablespoon oil For authentic Japanese flavor, use a neutral vegetable oil. I sometimes use olive oil when on a health kick and the taste is still OK. (Add more oil if needed.)

For the Teriyaki sauce (You can substitute with storebought teriyaki sauce but I prefer to make my own. It's healthier, for one! (If buying store bought, get a Japanese brand. Don't use the Lee Kum Kee Teriyaki sauce- it doesn't taste that good!))

• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce use regular or light soy sauce not dark or sweet soy sauce.
• 3 Tablespoons mirin
• 3 Tablespoons white sugar
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1½ teaspoon corn starch