Lion's Head Meatballs
Total time: 13 hr 45 min
Active time: 45 min
Serves: 4
Lion's head meatballs is a signature dish of Huaiyang cuisine, one of the four great traditions in Chinese cuisine. It features hearty pork meatballs immersed in a umami broth of dried scallops and shrimp.
Ingredients
1 pound pork tenderloin
12 ounces silken tofu
1 teaspoon salt
1 liter water
1/2 napa cabbage
3 ounces ginger
If available:
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/3 teaspoon white pepper
4 dried scallops
6 dried shrimps
3 bulbs green onion
Preparation
Soak dried shrimps and dried scallops overnight in refrigerator.
Steps
Shape meatballs.
Dice pork tenderloin into 1/2-cm or 1/3-inch blocks.
Mix salt, white pepper, and corn starch evenly into diced pork tenderloin.
Mash silken tofu. Mix into pork tenderloin.
Shape mixture into six to seven balls. Set aside.
Create broth.
Heat water in a pot large enough to hold the meatballs and napa cabbage.
Cut ginger into 3-cm or 1-inch stripes. Add to pot.
Cut napa cabbage into 3-cm or 1-inch pieces. Add to pot.
When water boils, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pot and cook for ten minutes.
Simmer meatballs.
Add meatballs and dried scallops and dried shrimps to pot.
Cover and cook for forty-five minutes.
Garnish and serve.
Cut green onion into 3-cm or 1-inch stripes. Immerse into pot.
Serve meatballs with broth after the dining table is set.