Best Lions Head Meatballs Recipes

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LION'S HEAD MEATBALLS



Lion's Head Meatballs image

People throw out the term "melt-in-your-mouth" pretty casually, but these meatballs really are. Some people think the name comes from their large size, while others believe eating these gives you the strength of a lion, but the actual answer is not quite as mythical. The look of this crinkled-up napa cabbage reminded the inventors of this dish of a lion's mane.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     Asian     Chinese

Time 2h15m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 24

1 ½ cups boiling water
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
¼ cup minced canned water chestnuts
1 (8 ounce) container firm tofu, chopped into small bits
1 pound fatty ground pork (at least 20% fat)
¼ cup finely sliced green onions (white and light green parts only)
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 ½ teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry (see Note)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 small head napa cabbage
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry wine
½ teaspoon sesame oil, or to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
¼ cup sliced green onion tops
2 tablespoons hot chili oil

Steps:

  • Pour boiling water over shiitake mushrooms, and let sit until soft enough to slice, about 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, combine chestnuts and tofu in a large bowl. Add ground pork, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Pour in rice wine, soy sauce, salt, cayenne, brown sugar, and egg. Dust with cornstarch. Mix with a clean hand until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • Form mixture into 6 large meatballs with wet hands.
  • Set an oven rack about 8 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and oil lightly. Place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Broil in the preheated oven until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while prepping the pot.
  • Trim off the bottom of the head of cabbage and slice 1/2 of the head. Arrange sliced cabbage on the bottom of a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Arrange the remaining leaves on the top. Slice and scatter the mushrooms on top of the cabbage; reserve shiitake liquid. Nestle the meatballs into the cabbage leaves and pour juices over.
  • Strain reserved shiitake liquid into a bowl. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk until dissolved. Add to the pot, pouring over each meatball. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and raise heat to medium-high. Continue cooking, basting the meatballs often, until liquid reduces slightly and meatballs are no longer pink in the centers, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
  • Ladle into serving bowls and arrange cabbage over the meatballs. Top with green onions and chili oil.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 315.4 calories, Carbohydrate 18.5 g, Cholesterol 82.1 mg, Fat 18.1 g, Fiber 2.6 g, Protein 20.6 g, SaturatedFat 5.2 g, Sodium 1607.8 mg, Sugar 7.4 g

LION HEAD MEATBALLS



Lion Head Meatballs image

This dish was said to be an imperial dish that the emperor ate. It is called Lion Head meatballs because, once cooked, the meatballs are surrounded by Chinese cabbage, and the meatball is said to resemble the head of the lion, while the long pieces of cabbage resemble the 'mane' of the lion. My mother can be quite superstitious and when she cooked this dish when I was younger she told us that we would be as strong as lions if we ate it. It worked. This is something I plan to cook and share if I have children one day. Serve with steamed rice, as the rice helps to soak up the juices of the broth.

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 50m

Yield 16 servings

Number Of Ingredients 22

1 pound 2 ounces ground beef
2 ounces Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch freshly cracked white pepper
3 1/2 ounces groundnut oil (peanut)
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
11 ounces Chinese cabbage, quartered lengthwise from leaf to stem end
3 dried Chinese mushrooms, porcini mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch, blended with 2 tablespoons cold water, optional
Sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper
2 large spring onions (green), sliced
Basic Glutinous Rice, recipe follows, for service, optional
11 ounces glutinous rice, rinsed
18 ounces water

Steps:

  • For the meatballs:
  • Put the ground beef, rice wine, garlic, spring onions, egg, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper into a large bowl to combine, stirring in the same direction.
  • Using wet hands, scoop a large mound of the ground meat mixture, and mold it into a ball. The size should be a little larger than a golf ball. Transfer the meatball to a plate and repeat with the remaining mixture.
  • For the assembly:
  • Pour the groundnut oil into a large deep pan, and heat over a high heat. Using a metal ladle, carefully lower each meatball into the oil, and spoon some of the oil over the meatballs. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until browned.
  • Pour all but 2 tablespoons of oil into a heat-proof bowl. Add the vegetable stock to the pan. Arrange the quarters of Chinese cabbage around the meatballs, curving them lengthwise around the sides of the pan, then add the mushrooms, and soy sauce. Bring everything to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce its heat, and cook gently for 15 minutes. Add the blended cornstarch slurry, if using, and stir until the sauce thickens.
  • Remove the pan from the heat, and season with salt, and white pepper, to taste, and sprinkle over the spring onion slices. Transfer the dish to a warm serving platter, and serve immediately.
  • Heat a pan, add the rice and water, cover, and cook over high heat for 15 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to very low, and cook for an additional 3 minutes, making sure all the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat and, using a spatula, fluff the rice. It is now ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 285, Fat 14 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Cholesterol 45 milligrams, Sodium 408 milligrams, Carbohydrate 26 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 12 grams, Sugar 2 grams

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