I love the creativity of Chinese dishes. The Lion's Head gets its name from the large ball of meat surrounded by soft tendrils of Napa cabbage leaves. This is a dish that my parents used to make occasionally. It was kind of a special treat. I guess the sentiment could be compared to lasagna night at a traditional American house. The boys, including my 11 month old gobbled it up. It was delicious. I can't believe I don't make this more often.
Ingredients
Part A
1 pound ground pork
6 chopped green onions (white/pale portions only)
2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 T soy sauce
1 T rice cooking wine
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 t sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 t salt
Part B
6 Rehydrated shitake mushrooms
1 cup reserved water from rehydrating mushrooms
1 T cooking oil
2 cups of chicken stock
2 T soy sauce
1 t ginger
2 T cornstarch
1 small head of Napa Cabbage cut into 2" pieces
salt to taste
Procedure
1. Mix all the ingredients of Part A in a small mixing bowl. Once you have a good mixture, with your hands, pick up the hunk of meat and throw it back into the bowl a few times, forcefully. My mom says that this step is pretty crucial to getting a good texture. Who knows.
2. Place the meat mixture in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes, or until about an hour before dinner time.
3. Rehydrate the shitake mushrooms in warm water. Slice the mushrooms thinly and save about 1 cup of the water.
4. Divide the meat into 4 and create 4 giant lion heads (meatballs). Or, you can make them cubs, and make 8.
5. Lightly coat each meatball with some cornstarch. Put 2 T of cornstarch on a small plate. Dip one of the meatballs lightly on one side and then use your hands to transfer the meatball back and forth between your hands. This will distribute the cornstarch and form a nice dense ball of meat.
6. As you roll each "head," you can carefully place it in a flat non-stick pan, moistened with 1 T of cooking oil. Occasionally turn the meatballs to brown the outside.
7. In a large pot (I used a stockpot), add about 1 T of cooking oil and sautee 1 teaspoon of ginger until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and half of the napa cabbage. Add 1 t of salt. Cook until the cabbage is wilted and then add the rest of the cabbage, reserving about a handful on the side.
8. Pour the broth, reserved mushroom water, soy sauce into the pot and then place the meatballs on top of the cabbage mixture. Cover the meatballs with the reserved cabbage and simmer for about an hour. Before serving, taste the broth and add more soy sauce or salt to taste.
Serve with steamed rice.
Ingredients
Part A
1 pound ground pork
6 chopped green onions (white/pale portions only)
2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 T soy sauce
1 T rice cooking wine
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 t sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 t salt
Part B
6 Rehydrated shitake mushrooms
1 cup reserved water from rehydrating mushrooms
1 T cooking oil
2 cups of chicken stock
2 T soy sauce
1 t ginger
2 T cornstarch
1 small head of Napa Cabbage cut into 2" pieces
salt to taste
Procedure
1. Mix all the ingredients of Part A in a small mixing bowl. Once you have a good mixture, with your hands, pick up the hunk of meat and throw it back into the bowl a few times, forcefully. My mom says that this step is pretty crucial to getting a good texture. Who knows.
2. Place the meat mixture in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes, or until about an hour before dinner time.
3. Rehydrate the shitake mushrooms in warm water. Slice the mushrooms thinly and save about 1 cup of the water.
4. Divide the meat into 4 and create 4 giant lion heads (meatballs). Or, you can make them cubs, and make 8.
5. Lightly coat each meatball with some cornstarch. Put 2 T of cornstarch on a small plate. Dip one of the meatballs lightly on one side and then use your hands to transfer the meatball back and forth between your hands. This will distribute the cornstarch and form a nice dense ball of meat.
6. As you roll each "head," you can carefully place it in a flat non-stick pan, moistened with 1 T of cooking oil. Occasionally turn the meatballs to brown the outside.
7. In a large pot (I used a stockpot), add about 1 T of cooking oil and sautee 1 teaspoon of ginger until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and half of the napa cabbage. Add 1 t of salt. Cook until the cabbage is wilted and then add the rest of the cabbage, reserving about a handful on the side.
8. Pour the broth, reserved mushroom water, soy sauce into the pot and then place the meatballs on top of the cabbage mixture. Cover the meatballs with the reserved cabbage and simmer for about an hour. Before serving, taste the broth and add more soy sauce or salt to taste.
Serve with steamed rice.