Lion's Head Meatballs

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Since domestic pork became scarce and expensive, imported pork has been the default at most markets. Foreign farms don’t castrate their piglets the way Chinese farms do, so the meat tends to be gamey and strong-tasting. Today I picked up some pork with low expectations and left a note on the Dingdong delivery app: “Chinese pork only!”

Today’s recipe: Lion’s Head meatballs.

1. Ingredients

Pork belly (fat-to-lean ratio 6:4), Chinese yam (or water chestnuts / radish), firm tofu, sweet potato starch, chili peppers, scallions, ginger, garlic, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine, star anise, egg.

I used Chinese yam as the filler — you can swap in whatever you prefer. Keep the filler proportion moderate, or the meatballs won’t hold together.

2. Process Overview

graph LR
A[Mix] --> B[Shape]
B --> C[Pan-fry]
C --> D[Braise]
D --> E[Thicken sauce]

3. Step by Step

1. Add the pork belly, Chinese yam, firm tofu, scallions, ginger, garlic, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine, and egg into a bowl. Mix by hand in one direction until the mixture becomes sticky and elastic. Add a small amount of starch, then keep mixing and slapping the mixture against the bowl to build texture.

   

2. Shape the mixture into meatballs of whatever size you like.

   

3. Heat the wok, add oil while it’s still cold, and pan-fry for 20 minutes. You can put the meatballs in when the oil is about 60% hot — keep the heat low throughout. The goal here is to set the shape. If you prefer a lighter version, you can blanch them in boiling water instead.

   

4. Stir-fry the chili peppers, scallions, ginger, garlic, and star anise until fragrant. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cooking wine. Pour in water to fill two-thirds of the wok, add the meatballs, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.

   

5. Thicken the sauce: when the liquid has reduced significantly, remove the meatballs. Add a cornstarch slurry and cook until it coats the back of a spoon, then pour the braising sauce over the meatballs.

   

   

4. A Final Note

Lion’s Head meatballs are time-consuming — a weekend dish. That said, I actually prefer my hometown’s simpler version: pork, breadcrumbs, and black pepper. Shape them into balls, cover with water, and simmer for an hour. Rich flavor without being greasy.