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Lion's head meatballs
狮子头 shīzi tóu — Yangzhou's large, soft pork meatballs braised with napa cabbage
Cooks in Yangzhou say the shaggy meatball looks like a lion's head and the cabbage leaves around it like a mane. The Jiangsu way is the clear braise: no frying, just a slow simmer in stock until the meatballs are so tender that you eat them with a spoon, while the cabbage drinks up the pork juices. They appear at family reunions and at Chinese New Year, where the round shape stands for togetherness. Everything cooks in one pot; serve the meatballs in their broth with rice. Chef's tip: chop some of the pork belly by hand if you can, or ask for coarse mince; a fine, lean mince gives a dense, bouncy ball rather than a soft one.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 ⅛ lb pork mincecoarse, about 30% fat
- 2 ⅞ oz water chestnutsfresh or canned, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerfinely grated
- 2 spring onionsfinely chopped
- 4 tbsp cold water
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wineor the same amount of chicken stock with 1 tsp rice vinegar (alcohol-free)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 1 ½ tbsp cornflour
For the braise
- 1 ⅓ lb napa cabbageleaves separated, large ones halved
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp saltto taste
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅛ lb pork mince in a large bowl with 2 ⅞ oz water chestnuts, 1 egg, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 2 spring onions, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, ¾ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and ¼ tsp ground white pepper. Use a separate board and wash your hands after handling the raw pork.
Step 2: Stir in one direction for 2 minutes, adding 4 tbsp cold water a spoon at a time, then sprinkle over 1 ½ tbsp cornflour and stir until it is sticky and holds together.
2 minStep 3: Pick up the mixture and slap it back into the bowl 15–20 times. This tightens it just enough to hold a large ball while staying soft inside.
3 minStep 4: Wet your hands and shape 4 large balls, about 8 cm across, passing each from palm to palm to smooth the outside. Don't squeeze them hard; a light touch keeps them tender.
Step 5: Line the base of a heavy casserole with half of 1 ⅓ lb napa cabbage. Set the meatballs on top, pour in 3 cups chicken stock and 1 tbsp light soy sauce, then cover the meatballs with the remaining cabbage leaves.
Step 6: Bring slowly to a gentle simmer over a medium-low heat, about 8 minutes. Skim any foam that rises.
8 minStep 7: Cover and simmer on the lowest heat for 40 minutes, so the surface barely trembles. The cabbage should be silky and the meatballs cooked through, 160°F (160 °F) in the centre.
40 minStep 8: Taste the broth and season with ¼ tsp salt. Serve each meatball in a bowl with cabbage and broth, with rice alongside.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lion's head meatballs take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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