How to Make Braised Lion's Head Meatballs

    Stir-fried Lion's Head Meatballs is a famous dish from Huaiyang cuisine. The meat is best homemade, using seven parts lean meat and three parts fat, finely chopped and coarsely minced. Do not overmince the meat to keep some gaps between pieces for better juiciness. Another key point is in the cooking vessel; slow simmering is required,preferably with a clay pot. For the best result.

    Main ingredients

    Pork belly 300 grams Water chestnuts 200 grams Eggs 2 pieces

    Auxiliary ingredients

    Walnuts 200 milliliters of oil 1 spoon of starch Spring onions 2 grams of salt Soy sauce 2 tablespoons Rock sugar 10 grams Ginger 10 grams Egg for batter (not specified) A half tablespoon of soy sauce 2 tablespoons of cooking wine 20 Sichuan peppers Stir-fried Lion's Head Meatballs preparation

    Prepare the ingredients, these are the materials needed.

    1. Clean and peel the water chestnuts, then finely chop them (net weight 118 grams).Soak the Sichuan peppers in warm water to make pepper water; wash and cut ginger into fine pieces. Trimmed pork belly first cut into slices, then threads, and finally small particles.

    Gently mince the meat a few times, do not overmince or it can be skipped entirely. Add pepper water (to remove fishiness), ginger paste, 3 grams of salt, a little soy sauce (optional), eggs, and a bit of cornstarch to the meat.

    Mix well in one direction until the meat is sticky enough.

    2. Add chopped water chestnuts.

    Stir thoroughly.3. Using your hand, form meatballs by grabbing some meat, tossing between hands several times, and shaping into round balls (I made five large ones).

    If eating alone, make smaller ones for easier cooking.

    4. Deep-fry the formed meatballs until the outer layer sets and turns golden.

    Use a spoon to pour oil over them frequently.

    Remove when they are golden brown.5. Place the fried meatballs in a clay pot, add enough water, stir-fried soy sauce, ginger slices, spring onion segments, salt, oyster sauce, and rock sugar.

    Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about three hours.

    If the meatballs are smaller, this step will be much faster.

    Add some green vegetables in the last few minutes of cooking.

    6. Serve by placing the meatballs on a plate, and pour the sauce from the pot over them, thickened slightly if desired. Add a few sprigs of Chinese cabbage a few minutes before turning off the heat. Cook them together.

    14. Serve by removing the lion's head meatballs and placing them on a plate, then pour the sauce from the stew over them, and thin it with a starch slurry before drizzling it over the meatballs.