Description
The king of banquet dishes in Eastern China (Jiangsu/Shanghai). Giant pork meatballs the size of an adult's fist are deep-fried, then braised for hours in a sweet and savory soy-and-rock-sugar broth until meltingly soft. Named 'Lion's Head' because the bumpy, rugged surface of the meatball resembles a lion's mane.
Restaurants serving Hong Shao Shi Zi Tou (Jiangnan Braised Giant Meatballs)
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The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Pork belly(coarsely minced)
- Water chestnuts(or Lotus root)
- Eggs
- Cabbage
- Soy sauce
- Rock sugar
- Star anise
- Potato starch
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- (Ultimate Filling) Do not use a meat grinder. Hand-chop fatty pork belly into a 'coarse mince' with a cleaver. This coarse texture is the life of the fluffiness.
- Add minced water chestnuts (or lotus root), scallion-ginger water, egg, salt, pepper, and starch.
- [Pro Skill]: Whip violently in one direction while slowly adding water, forcing the meat to absorb it and become extremely sticky.
- (Shaping & Frying) Toss the meat rapidly back and forth between your hands like a baseball to expel air, forming giant fist-sized balls.
- Drop gently into high-heat oil. Fry until the outside forms a golden crust (core remains raw).
- (Braising) Line a clay pot with cabbage leaves. Place the giant fried meatballs on top.
- Pour in soy, dark soy, rock sugar, star anise, wine, and broth.
- Cover and simmer on 'extreme low heat for
- hours' until the meat absorbs the broth and melts at the mere touch of chopsticks.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Glossy depth of reduced rock sugar and soy、Star anise aroma
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Make giant meatballs with JP minced pork/lotus root, braise in sweet soy)
Pairing
White Rice / Shaoxing Wine
Trivia
[Trivia] The masterpiece of Huaiyang cuisine (one of the Eight Great Traditions). Besides this soy-based 'Hong Shao' version, there is a clear, salt-based 'Qing Dun' (Clear Steamed) variation, an ultimately delicate dish where the fluffiness of the meat stands out even more.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Knives are unnecessary. A gentle press with a spoon causes it to beautifully crumble. The violent sweetness of the pork fat mixes with the 'crisp' crunch of the water chestnuts. The cabbage lining the bottom absorbs the meat umami and soy glaze to its limit, making white rice vanish even faster than the meat.
Allergen
Pork, Eggs, Soybeans, Wheat (Soy sauce)