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Chinese Lion’s Head Meatballs

If you’re on the hunt for a dish that combines comfort, flavor, and a touch of creativity, look no further than this unique Chinese Lion’s Pork Balls recipe.

These meatballs are the epitome of tenderness and moisture, promising a satisfying experience that warms your heart and fills your belly.

And the best part? They’re incredibly easy to make, ensuring that anyone can whip up a batch of these delectable delights.

meatballs

About This Chinese Meatball recipe:

Lion’s Head Meatball is a classic dish loved in Southern China, especially around Shanghai. It’s affordable, tender, and a household staple, perfect with rice or noodles.

In this recipe, there’s a twist – the addition of apples.

The apple’s sweet and sour notes mingle with the rich minced pork, creating a harmonious balance that’s both familiar and fresh.

This blend of tradition and innovation honors the past while embracing the present. offering a new taste in the journey of Chinese cuisine.

I hope you enjoy this delightful combination!

meatballs

The Cooking Process:

Step One: Crafting The Meatballs

  • Blend for Flavor: Place the ginger, spring onion, and water into a blender. Blend until the mixture turns smooth.
  • Mix and infuse: In a generously sized bowl, combine the ginger and spring onion juice from the blender with the ground pork, apple, salt, white pepper powder, rice wine, cornstarch, and sugar. Mix these ingredients thoroughly with a spatula until the liquid is fully integrated.
  • Shape with Care: It’s time to give these flavorsome ingredients their signature form. Carefully shape the mixture into individual meatballs with your hands as your kitchen tools.

Step Two: Deep Frying the meatballs

In a non-stick pan over medium heat, heat oil and deep fry the meatballs until they turn a delicious golden brown.

Step Three: Braising the meatballs

Bring your deep-fried meatballs together with soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, ginger slices, star anise, and enough water to just cover them. As the mixture comes to a boil and then simmers for an hour.

Finish by thickening the sauce with a blend of cornstarch and water.

meatballs

FAQs:

Q: Can I adjust the sweetness level?

A: Absolutely. The amount of apple and sugar used can be adjusted to your preference. You can experiment with different types of apples to find the perfect balance between sweetness and tartness that suits your taste.

Q: Can I make these meatballs ahead of time?

A: Absolutely, this recipe is perfect for preparing ahead. Make a batch, freeze in portions, and warm up whenever you’re ready to enjoy.

Q: What’s the best way to reheat leftover meatballs?

A: To reheat, gently warm the meatballs in a skillet with a bit of water or broth to prevent them from drying out. Alternatively, you can microwave them with a damp paper towel to maintain their moisture.

meatballs

Making these melt-in-your-mouth meatballs is a breeze, and the love is guaranteed.

Plus, with the convenience of batch cooking, your weeknight dinners just got a whole lot easier.

meatballs

Chinese Lion’s Head Meatballs

Discover the delightful fusion of Chinese Lion's Head Meatball with a refreshing apple twist. An easy-to-love recipe that brings tradition and creativity to your plate.
Author: Lei
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: dinner
Cuisine: asian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 500 g ground pork (lean fat ratio 7:3)
  • 1 apple (finely diced)
  • 4 slices ginger (1cm thick)
  • 1/3 cup spring onion (chopped)
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup rice wine
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 4 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 star anise
  • 500ml oil (For deep frying)

Instructions

  • Crafting The Meatballs
    Blend for Flavor: Place two slices of ginger, spring onion, and 1/2 cup of water into a blender. Blend until the mixture turns smooth.
    Mix and infuse: In a generously sized bowl, combine the ginger and spring onion juice from the blender with the ground pork, apple, salt, white pepper powder, 1/4 cup of rice wine, 1/4 cup of cornstarch, and sugar. Mix these ingredients thoroughly with a spatula until the liquid is fully integrated.
    Shape with Care: It’s time to give these ingredients their signature form. Carefully shape the mixture into meatballs with your hands as your kitchen tools.
  • Deep Frying the meatballs
    In a non-stick pan over medium heat, heat oil and deep fry the meatballs until they turn a delicious golden brown.
  • Braising the meatballs
    Bring your deep-fried meatballs together with soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 cup of rice wine, 2 ginger slices, star anise, and enough water to just cover them. As the mixture comes to a boil and then simmers for an hour.
    Finish by thickening the sauce with a blend of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 1523kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 23gFat: 152gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 38gMonounsaturated Fat: 91gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 1089mgPotassium: 485mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 118IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg

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