Recipe courtesy of Ming-Na Wen

Lion's Head

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 25 min
  • Prep: 10 min
  • Cook: 15 min
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the pork, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch with a chopstick. Form into large meatballs. On a small plate, sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch and roll the meatballs in the cornstarch.
  2. In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil. Brown the meatballs in hot wok until deep golden brown. Remove from the wok. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
  3. Wipe the wok or skillet clean with a paper towel. Return the wok to high heat and cook cabbage until just wilted.
  4. Place the cooked cabbage on the bottom of a large soup pot or casserole dish. Add the meatballs and broth. Cover and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes. Stir and serve warm.

Cook’s Note

This classic Shanghai dish is named Lion's Head because of the massive size of the meatballs, and because the cabbage, when cooked, looks like a lion's mane. Ming-Na uses ground pork for her meatballs but they can be made with ground turkey or ground chicken.