Help Me: How to Make Chinese Lion’s Head Meatballs

water chestnuts

🥗Healthier: mushrooms

💰Cheaper: cabbage

Mushrooms add texture while cabbage is more economical.

ground pork

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Ground turkey is leaner and ground beef is often less expensive.

Shaoxing wine

🥗Healthier: rice vinegar

💰Cheaper: dry sherry

Rice vinegar provides acidity while dry sherry is a good substitute.

sesame oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Olive oil is healthier and canola oil is less expensive.

Peel the fresh water chestnuts and soak them in water to make peeling easier.

Dice the water chestnuts super finely after peeling.

Slice a piece of ginger into small pieces.

Take one scallion, fold it, and chop it for faster dicing.

Measure out 450 grams of ground pork, using three packets of 150 grams each.

Crack one egg into the mixing bowl with the pork.

Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the mixture.

Add 4-5 tablespoons of bread crumbs to the bowl.

Pour in 3 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine.

Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce.

Sprinkle in 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch and some black pepper.

Mix all the ingredients together until well combined, adding a bit of water if the mixture is too dry.

Shape the mixture into meatballs, ensuring they are well-formed.

Heat vegetable oil in a pan for deep frying the meatballs.

Fry each meatball for about 2 minutes until golden brown, then remove them from the oil.

In a separate pan, add some oil and heat it up, then add sliced ginger and scallions.

Pour in about 70% of the sauce mixture made earlier into the pan with ginger and scallions.

Add the napa cabbage to the pan and then place the fried meatballs on top.

Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs and cabbage.

Plate the dish carefully, ensuring the meatballs and cabbage are presented nicely.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens