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Braised Lion's Head in a Sandy Pot

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Submitted by wilewis3

Giant pork meatballs with water chestnuts and ginger, fried until crusted and braised for 2 hours on napa cabbage in a clay pot. A classic Shanghai comfort dish that melts in your mouth.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

20 min

COOK

20 min

READY

3 hrs

Lion’s Head is one of the great dishes of Shanghai and Jiangsu cuisine, named for the oversized pork meatballs that sit like a lion’s head on a mane of braised napa cabbage.

These aren’t your everyday meatballs. Tennis-ball-sized orbs of ground pork are mixed with water chestnuts for crunch, minced ginger and scallions for fragrance, cooked rice for binding, and dark soy and sesame oil for that deep, savory backbone.

They get fried hard in peanut oil until a thick crust forms, then settle onto a bed of shredded cabbage in a clay pot (sandy pot) and braise low for two hours until the pork turns silky-soft and the cabbage soaks up every drop of the rich, porky broth.

This is soul food, Chinese style.

Kitchen Tips

  • Form the meatballs firmly and don’t skimp on the fry. A solid crust is what keeps them from falling apart during the long braise. If they’re soft going in, they’ll disintegrate.
  • Use a clay pot if you have one. The porous surface retains heat evenly and gives the dish its traditional character. A Dutch oven works as a substitute.
  • Start with cold or cool stock, not boiling. Bringing the temperature up slowly prevents the meatballs from shocking and cracking.
  • Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes before shaping. The flavors marry and the rice absorbs moisture, making the meatballs easier to form and hold together.

Ingredients

1 453.6
POUND G GROUND PORK
¼ 59
CUP ML WATER CHESTNUT *
1 5
TEASPOON ML GINGER ROOT
minced
½ 118
CUP ML RICE
cooked, minced
1 15
TABLESPOON ML SOY SAUCE, DARK
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SESAME OIL
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML WATER
3 710
CUPS ML NAPA (CHINESE) CABBAGE
shredded
4 946
CUPS ML STOCK
or water
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SALT
to taste
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML SUGAR
6 90
TABLESPOONS ML PEANUT OIL

Directions

Preparation: In bowl, thoroughly mix pork, water chestnuts, ginger root, green onions, cooked rice, dark soy, sesame oil and water.

Allow mixture to marry for 30 minutes.

Form into firm balls, one for each serving, each the size of a tennis ball (about 3½ inch across).

Braising: Heat wok or skillet to hot; add oil.

When oil begins to smoke, introduce meatballs 1 at a time, so as not to cool oil.

Fry meatballs until a brown crust has formed.

They must be well crusted in order to retain their shape while stewing.

Cooking in Sandy Pot: Line sandy pot with shredded Chinese mustard cabbage; sprinkle with pan oil from meatballs, salt and sugar.

Add meatballs, then add cool or cold stock.

Bring slowly to boil; cover; reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 2 hours.

Correct seasoning if necessary.

Serve.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

Comments


Denis Ko

Is a Sandy Pot the same as a Clay Pot?

happyzhangbo   

Denis, I just did some research about it. Sandy pot is one kind of clay pots. So this recipe you can use clay pot or sandy pot, both work. Hope this helps.

Denis Ko

Thanks "happyzhangbo".
I've saved many of your recipes, because they are very similar to my
mother's style of cooking. I should have paid more attention when she was cooking. Your recipes give me hope in recreating my favorites.
Thanks again, keep posting your recipes.
Denis

happyzhangbo   

You are welcome, Denis! Glad to hear that our recipes give you hope to recreate your favorites, it's our pleasure.

For sure we will keep sharing good recipes!

Happy Cooking :-)

 

 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 469g (16.5 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 701 60% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 47g 72%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 114mg 38%
Sodium 1009mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars g
Protein 77g
Vitamin A 49% Vitamin C 45%
Calcium 10% Iron 16%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free
 

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