Lion's Head Meatballs

Name: Lion's Head Meatballs
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 600g fatty minced pork, chopped by hand if possible; 6 water chestnuts, finely chopped; Ginger and spring onion water; 1 egg and 2 tbsp cornflour; 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sugar; 1 head napa cabbage; Chicken stock

狮子头/shir-zuh TOH/

Also known as: Shi Zi Tou, Shizitou, Lion Head Meatballs

About this dish

Large, tender pork meatballs braised with napa cabbage in a light soy broth, soft enough to cut with a spoon.

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Ingredients

🐖600g fatty minced pork, chopped by hand if possible

🌰6 water chestnuts, finely chopped

🫚Ginger and spring onion water

🥚1 egg and 2 tbsp cornflour

🫙2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sugar

🥬1 head napa cabbage

🍲Chicken stock

Method

Serves 4

Mix the pork with the water chestnuts, ginger-spring onion water, egg, cornflour and seasonings, then beat until sticky.

Shape into 4–6 large balls and brown them gently in oil.

Line a clay pot with cabbage leaves and set the meatballs on top.

Add stock to half cover, cover with more cabbage and simmer gently for 1.5 hours.

Serve in the pot with the broth.

✓ What Makes it Authentic

Shi zi tou is a classic of Huaiyang (Yangzhou) cuisine, often served at Chinese New Year; the meatball is the lion's head and the cabbage its mane.

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