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The working recipe — the Market List, the Method, and where it lives or dies
I
Origin
Yangzhou/Jiangnan — lion's head meatballs are associated with the prosperity of the Yangtze River trading cities; first recorded in Tang Dynasty cookery texts
II
Description
Shi zi tou (lion's head meatballs): large pork meatballs (fist-sized) slow-braised in stock with napa cabbage leaves. The 'lion's head' refers to the large, irregular surface of the meatball resembling a lion's mane. Two versions: red (hong shao — braised in soy and wine) and white (qing dun — steamed in clear stock). The texture should be coarse and slightly crumbly — like a pork burger, not a smooth meatball.
III
The Thread
—Swedish meatballs (large format meatball tradition)
—Italian polpettone (large braised meatball)
—German Königsberger Klopse (braised meatballs in sauce)
IV
Flavour Context
Rich pork fat and flavour, sweet braised cabbage, with either sweet-savoury (red) or clean (white) braise character
Pillars V — VII
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