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Tender and juicy jumbo-size Chinese pork meatballs braised in aromatic and savory broth are one of our family’s favorites.
What is Lion’s head meatball?
Isn’t that name just something? I got so intrigued when my mom told me about this Chinese dish many years ago. The Chinese often have a unique way of naming dishes. The size of meatballs is often large, about 4-5 inches in diameter, resembling a lion’s head. There are several varieties of lion’s head meatballs. You may have seen steamed version, braised version (like in this recipe), and a soup version. The version I made here is red-braised to give you that reddish-brown color.
How to make red-braised lion’s head meatball
1. Squeeze the firm tofu into fine crumbles and put in a large mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients for the meatballs. Use your clean hand to mix it is easier, though it can be messy.
2. The consistency should be like a soft sticky paste but not too soft that it can’t hold its shape. If it’s too dry you can add a bit more chicken stock. Cover and let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature
3. Lightly wet your palms and scoop about 1/2 to 1 cup of meat paste (it’s up to you how big or small you want to make this). I use 1 cup for jumbo size. Shape it into a round ball. Repeat with the rest of the meat paste
4. Preheat oil in a large skillet. The oil should come up halfway of the meatballs. When you put a chopstick or a skewer into the oil, you will see some bubbles around it. The oil is ready. Gently place one meatball at a time into the oil. You need to cook in batches. I would say about 4 at a time. Cook until the meatballs are golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on an absorbent paper towel
5. To prepare the gravy, preheat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large pot. Add ginger slices, scallion pieces, cinnamon, and star anise. Stir fry for about 3 minutes over medium heat
6. Then add the sugar and cook until it melts. Add the water and the seasonings for the gravy
7. Arrange the Napa cabbage stalks inside the pot. Put the meatballs on top of the cabbage. 
8. Then cover the meatballs with the soft leaves of the cabbage. Let it come to a simmer and then close the lid and let it to let the meatballs braised for about 30 minutes
9. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more soy sauce and/or sugar to suite your taste. Turn off the heat, add the goji berries and let then cover again for 5 minutes. The goji berries will be softened by residual heat. You can serve it as is or you can thicken the broth. If you want to thicken the broth, remove the meatballs and the leaves and then strain the broth and pour it back into the pan. Combine 1 Tbsp of cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of water. Pour the starch solution into the broth and keeps stirring until the gravy starts to thicken.
10. Transfer to a serving platter immediately
Tips
1. Don’t use all lean meat. I suggest about 70% lean is good
2. The consistency of the meat paste should be soft but able to hold its shape when you roll into a round ball. If it’s too soft, you can add some bread crumbs to firm it up. If it is too dry, you can add a bit of chicken broth to reach the consistency I mentioned
Did you make this lion’s head meatball recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag it to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
This recipe was first published in 2016. I have updated the recipe for a better version and with new photos on December 1, 2022. Recipe is adapted from here with some modifications.
Red-Braised Lion’s Head Meatballs (狮子头)
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 680 gr ground pork 70% lean
- 454 gr firm tofu
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup chicken stock or more as needed
- 8 Napa cabbage leaves
Marinade for the pork:
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp ginger grated
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 4 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 stalks scallions minced
For frying:
- Oil for frying
For the gravy:
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 inch ginger cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 2 stalks scallions cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 large cinnamon
- 1 star anise
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Seasonings for the gravy:
- 3 cups water
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
To thicken the gravy: (optional)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp water
For garnishes: (optional)
- Goji berries
- scallions
Instructions
Prepare the meatballs:
- Squeeze the firm tofu into fine crumbles and put in a large mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients for the meatballs. Use your clean hand to mix it is easier, though it can be messy. The consistency should be like a soft sticky paste but not too soft that it can't hold its shape. If it's too dry you can add a bit more chicken stock.
- Cover and let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature
Shaping:
- Lightly wet your palms and scoop about 1/2 to 1 cup of meat paste (it's up to you how big or small you want to make this). I use 1 cup for jumbo size. Shape it into a round ball. Repeat with the rest of the meat paste
Cooking:
- Preheat oil in a large skillet. The oil should come up halfway of the meatballs. When you put a chopstick or a skewer into the oil, you will see some bubbles around it. The oil is ready. Gently place one meatball at a time into the oil. You need to cook in batches. I would say about 4 at a time. Cook until the meatballs are golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on an absorbent paper towel
Prepare the red-braised broth:
- Separate the stalks of the Napa cabbage from the soft leaves
- Preheat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large pot. Add ginger slices, scallion pieces, cinnamon, and star anise. Stir fry for about 3 minutes over medium heat. Then add the sugar and cook until it melts. Add the water and the seasonings for the gravy
- Arrange the Napa cabbage stalks inside the pot. Put the meatballs on top of the cabbage. Then cover the meatballs with the soft leaves of the cabbage. Let it come to a simmer and then close the lid and let it to let the meatballs braised for about 30 minutes
- Have a taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more soy sauce and/or sugar to suite your taste. You can serve it as is or you can thicken the broth
- If you want to thicken the broth, remove the meatballs and the leaves and then strain the broth and pour it back into the pan. Combine 1 Tbsp of cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of water. Pour the starch solution into the broth and keeps stirring until the gravy starts to thicken.
- Transfer to a serving platter immediately