Shizi Tou (Chinese Lion's Head Meatballs)

About This Recipe

Shizi tou, or 'lion's head meatballs,' is a specialty of Jiangsu and Shanghai cuisine, featuring oversized, delicately textured pork meatballs braised gently in a light broth alongside napa cabbage, which is meant to resemble a lion's mane surrounding the meatball 'head.' The meatballs are famous for their exceptionally tender, almost fluffy texture, achieved through a specific ratio of fat to lean meat and a hand-chopping technique rather than a fine grind. The technique that defines shizi tou is the meat preparation: pork belly and lean pork are traditionally hand-chopped (not ground in a machine) to a coarse, slightly uneven texture, which along with water or stock worked into the mixture creates the characteristic light, almost custardy tenderness once cooked. The meatballs are gently braised rather than fried hard, submerged partially in broth with napa cabbage, and cooked low and slow so they stay tender without becoming dense or rubbery. Served in individual bowls with the braising broth and cabbage, shizi tou is refined home-style Chinese cooking -- simple in appearance but requiring real technique to achieve the dish's signature delicate, tender meatball texture.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gpork belly(finely chopped, not ground)
• 200 glean ground pork
• 2 tbspcornstarch
• 3 tbspwater or stock(cold)
• 2 tbspshaoxing wine
• 1 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tbspgrated ginger
• 2 stalksscallions(minced)
• 0.5 tspsalt
• 0.25 tspwhite pepper
• 3 tbspneutral oil
• 600 gnapa cabbage(cut into large pieces)
• 2.5 cupschicken stock
• 1 tbsplight soy sauce(for broth)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the meat

   Combine finely chopped pork belly and ground lean pork in a bowl.

2. 2

   Make the binding slurry

   Whisk cornstarch with cold water or stock until smooth.

3. 3

   Mix the meatball base

   Add the slurry, shaoxing wine, soy sauce, ginger, scallions, salt, and white pepper to the meat. Mix in one direction until sticky and well combined.

4. 4

   Shape gently

   With wet hands, gently shape into 4 large meatballs, being careful not to compact them too tightly.

5. 5

   Sear

   Heat oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Gently sear meatballs 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned. Remove.

6. 6

   Braise with cabbage

   Add napa cabbage to the pot with stock and light soy sauce. Nestle meatballs on top of the cabbage.

7. 7

   Simmer

   Cover and simmer gently 30-35 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and tender and the cabbage is soft.

8. 8

   Serve

   Serve hot in bowls with the broth and cabbage.

Variations

• •

  Add water chestnuts, finely diced, to the meat mixture for extra crunch and moisture, a traditional addition in some versions.

• •

  Steam the meatballs instead of braising with cabbage for the 'clear steamed' style found in some Jiangsu households.

• •

  Add a few dried shiitake mushrooms to the braising liquid for extra umami.

Storage

Refrigerate in the broth up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, being careful not to break apart the delicate meatballs.

Frequently Asked Questions