Lion’s Head
Lion's Head
These large soft meatballs made from a mix of minced fatty pork and water chestnuts hail from the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. Seasoned with ginger, rice wine, and sesame oil, lion’s head meatballs are generally cooked through stewing, braising, or simmering in soup, and sometimes are even fried or placed in casseroles. They’re almost always served with a “mane” of cabbage.
Ingredients:
1lb. ground pork (not too lean)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing or dry marsala wine
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely minced
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 c. (about 4 oz.) canned water chestnuts, drained and finely minced
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 c. vegetable oil
1/2 lb. Chinese cabbage (bok choy)
1 qt. water
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 small bundle bean thread noodles, soaked in warm water to reconstitute
Steamed rice, for serving
Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix ground pork, soy sauce, wine, ginger, sesame oil, water chestnuts, and green onions. Divide mixture into 6 portions and shape each into a meatball. Preheat a wok or sauté pan over high heat until wisps of smoke rise from the surface. Add vegetable oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Using a sloped spoon, gently lower 3 meatballs into oil and brown for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, adjusting heat as needed. You don't need to cook the meatballs all the way through. Transfer cooked meatballs to a dinner plate and repeat with remaining meatballs. Remove core from Chinese cabbage, leaving inner leaves whole. Cut larger, outer leaves into large segments. In a Dutch oven large enough to hold all the meatballs, add cabbage leaves and place browned meatballs on top of cabbage. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until broth is flavorful and all cabbage has cooked down. Stir in salt, adding more to taste if necessary. Submerge noodles in broth and let them soften for about 5 minutes. Serve with rice.
