Lion's Head Meatball (狮子头 Shi Zi Tou) — Jiangnan Giant Meatball

Ingredients

• 900 g pork belly, skin-on, with fat; hand-chopped into 3–5 mm pieces — not machine-minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 30 ml cornstarch, 2 tbsp
• 5 ml soy sauce, 1 tsp; plus extra for the red-braised version
• 5 ml sesame oil, 1 tsp
• 15 ml Shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp standard proportion
• 10 g fresh ginger, finely minced
• 5 g fine salt, to season the mixture
• 1.2 litres clear pork or chicken stock, for qing dun (clear-braised) version; substitute with soy broth enriched with rock sugar for hong shao version
• 600 g napa cabbage, outer leaves separated; placed whole over meatballs during braise

Method

1. 1
   Prepare the pork belly: slice it first into planks, then chop by hand with a cleaver into rough pieces approximately 3–5 mm in size. The goal is coarse, irregular pieces — not a smooth paste. The chopped pork should show distinct pockets of fat and lean. When the pieces hold that irregularity without smearing together, the knife work is done.
2. 2
   Combine the chopped pork in a bowl with the beaten egg, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, minced ginger, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Then lift the mixture and throw it firmly against the base of the bowl 10 to 15 times. This impact develops the protein strands that bind the meatball without the need for machine mixing. The mixture is ready when it coheres as a single, slightly sticky mass that holds its shape when pressed.
3. 3
   Wet both hands. Divide the mixture into 4 to 6 equal portions. Roll and compress each portion into a smooth ball 8 to 10 cm in diameter, handling it firmly but without overworking. Set each ball gently into the clay pot or deep braising vessel. The surface should appear rough and uneven — a smooth, tight exterior signals over-worked, machine-like texture and the dish is already compromised.
4. 4
   This is where the dish lives or dies. Pour the stock over the meatballs until they are submerged. Lay the napa cabbage leaves over the top. Bring the pot to a boil over moderate heat, then reduce immediately to the gentlest possible simmer — barely a tremor at the surface. Cover and braise undisturbed for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. At no point should the liquid boil aggressively. The meatballs are done when they yield completely under light pressure from a spoon, offering no resistance — a firm or springy centre means more time is required.
5. 5
   Lift the lid. The broth should be clear and fragrant (qing dun) or mahogany and faintly sweet (hong shao). The cabbage will have collapsed into the liquid. Taste and adjust salt. Serve the meatballs directly from the vessel, each portion accompanied by cabbage and a ladleful of broth. The correct aroma is clean pork richness with the faint sweetness of slow-cooked cabbage.