Lion's Head Meatballs
狮子头
Huge, melt-in-your-mouth pork meatballs braised with napa cabbage — a signature dish of Huaiyang cuisine. The texture is unlike any meatball you've had.
📋 Ingredients
What Is Lion's Head Meatballs?
💡 Ingredient Notes: Lion's Head Meatballs (狮子头, shī zi tóu) are a signature dish of Huaiyang cuisine (Jiangsu province). They're named for their size and shape — giant meatballs (the size of a small fist) that supposedly resemble a lion's head, served with napa cabbage representing the mane. What makes them special is the texture: the pork is hand-chopped (never ground) into rough pieces, so the meatball is incredibly tender — it should fall apart at the touch of a chopstick, melting in your mouth. They're slowly braised in a clear broth with napa cabbage until deeply savory and soft.
Ingredients You'll Need
For the Meatballs
- 500g (1 lb) pork belly or pork shoulder, hand-chopped (see tip)
- 100g (3.5 oz) water chestnuts or bamboo shoots, finely diced
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 thumb ginger, minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp cooking wine
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp cooking oil (for frying)
For the Braise
- 1 large head napa cabbage, cut into chunks
- 3 cups chicken or pork stock
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 scallions
📝 Instructions
Hand-chop the pork (the secret)
Cut the pork into thin slices, then into thin strips, then into tiny cubes. Chop the cubes repeatedly until you have a rough mince — not a paste. This is the secret to the melt-in-your-mouth texture. A meat grinder makes it too dense and pasty.
Mix the meatball filling
Combine the chopped pork, water chestnuts, scallions, ginger, egg, cornstarch, cooking wine, salt, sugar, and white pepper. Mix in ONE direction only (clockwise) for 3-5 minutes until sticky and well-combined. The one-direction mixing aligns the proteins and gives the bouncy texture.
Shape the meatballs
Wet your hands with cold water. Take a large handful of mixture (about ¼ cup) and gently shape into a ball — don't pack it tightly. You want it loose and tender. Repeat to make 6-8 large meatballs.
Sear the meatballs
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Gently add the meatballs and brown them on all sides (about 5 minutes total). They should hold their shape but stay tender inside. Don't overcook — they'll finish cooking in the braise.
Braise with cabbage
In a Dutch oven, layer half the napa cabbage on the bottom. Place the seared meatballs on top, then cover with the remaining cabbage. Add stock, both soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, ginger, and scallions. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 45-60 minutes — the meatballs should be incredibly tender and the cabbage meltingly soft.
Serve
Carefully transfer the meatballs and cabbage to serving bowls. The broth should be rich and savory. Serve with steamed rice — the rice absorbs the delicious sauce.
💡 Pro Tips
- 💡💡 Hand-chop the pork — never use a meat grinder. This is THE secret to the signature texture. It's labor-intensive but worth it. The chunks of fat and lean melt during braising.
- 💡💡 Mix the meat in one direction only. This aligns the proteins and gives the right texture. Mixing back and forth makes it tough.
- 💡💡 Don't pack the meatballs tightly. Loose shaping = tender meatballs. Tight packing = dense meatballs.
- 💡💡 Use pork with fat. Lean pork makes dry meatballs. Pork belly (70/30 lean/fat) is ideal. The fat keeps them juicy during the long braise.
📊 Nutrition Facts
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ground pork from the store? You can, but the texture will be denser and less special. Store-ground pork is too fine. If you must, ask the butcher for a coarse grind, or pulse cubed pork in a food processor a few times (don't puree).
Why are they called 'Lion's Head'? Because of their large size (much bigger than Western meatballs) and the way the napa cabbage surrounds them like a lion's mane. The name dates back centuries to the Sui dynasty.
Can I make them smaller? You can, but the large size is traditional and helps with the tender texture — small meatballs dry out more easily during braising.
