Lion’s Head Meatballs

Chinese braised Lion’s Head Meatballs have long been a noticeable gap in our repertoire. But now that Chinese New Year is upon us again, and we’re heading into a new decade, we figured it was finally time to nail down and record this classic recipe!  

What Are Lion’s Head Meatballs?

Lion’s Head Meatballs (狮子头 – shīzitóu) are large pork meatballs that are steamed/braised and served with vegetables. Their name derives from their shape, which resembles the head of a Chinese guardian lion, or foo dog. It can be eaten any time of year, but is often served as a celebration dish! 

Lion’s Head is also a classic dish in Huaiyang cuisine, one of the four major cuisines in China, representing the culinary traditions of Eastern China and primarily Jiangsu Province. Huaiyang cuisine is known for its use of its local Zhenjiang vinegar (what we call black vinegar here on the blog), its sweetness, and lack of spiciness/use of chili peppers. 

There are two varieties of Lion’s Head Meatballs. One version is plain, usually steamed/cooked in broth and served with napa cabbage, and one is “red cooked” (braised in soy sauce). Some versions contain larger proportions of pork fat than others (I’ve seen some that contain almost 50% fat!). 

The version I’m making today is more on the meaty side, though it has enough fat to be flavorful and succulent. This is also a “red cooked” version!

Recipe Tips Before You Start

• As already mentioned, fat is very important to this recipe. Many traditional lion’s head meatballs contain 50% fat! For this home-cooked version, a 70/30 meat to fat ratio is ideal. 80/20 is also acceptable, but don’t go any leaner than that, or the meatballs will be dry. 
• Don’t be tempted to skip the frying step in the recipe. The meatball mixture is quite moist, and frying sets the shape of the meatballs, so they don’t fall apart during braising. 
• Avoid adding more water chestnuts or breadcrumbs than the recipe calls for. This may cause the meatballs to fall apart! 
• If you’re not fond of water chestnuts, you can replace them with chopped fresh shiitake mushrooms. It’s best to cook the mushrooms until softened and slightly caramelized before adding them to the meatball mixture. 
• When dividing the meat into balls, try making 8 or 9, both very auspicious numbers in Chinese culture. The number 8 in Chinese represents wealth and good fortune, while the number 9 represents longevity! 

Lion’s Head Meatball Recipe Instructions

To make the meatballs:

Make sure to find fatty ground pork. You can choose a fatty piece of pork shoulder and have the butcher grind it, or use our hand-chopping method to grind your own. A 70/30 meat to fat ratio is best, but 80/20 is also acceptable. Transfer the ground pork to a large mixing bowl. 

Add the minced ginger and scallions…

Along with the egg, breadcrumbs, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, five spice powder, cornstarch, and water. 

Whip everything in one direction for about 10 minutes, until the meat mixture resembles a paste.  This step is very important to making sure the meatballs have the right texture and don’t fall apart during frying. You can also pick up the meat with a spatula and continue to “slap” it back into the bowl to create even more of an elastic texture. 

Smash the water chestnuts with the side of your cleaver or knife and finely mince them.

Add to the meat mixture and continue to mix everything together for 5 more minutes.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape everything together.

Heat enough oil to submerge the meatballs in a small, deep pot (a small pot requires less oil) to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Just be sure there’s enough oil to cook the meatballs evenly, but that the oil will not overflow during frying.

With oiled hands, divide the meat mixture into 8 to 9 equal portions and shape each into a ball.

Carefully lower the meatballs one at a time into the heated oil, and fry in batches (2 minutes per batch) until they’re evenly golden brown. Remove the par-cooked meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

To make the sauce & braise: 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over low heat. Add the ginger and white parts of the scallions, and cook for 1 minute. Then add the rock sugar and cook until dissolved. 

Add 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 ½ tablespoons light soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and 1 ½ cup water. Stir and bring the liquid to a boil. 

Once boiling, add the fried meatballs. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes over medium/low heat, flipping the meatballs halfway through. 

After simmering, there should be about ¾ cup liquid left. Remove the meatballs from the liquid and arrange on your serving plate.

I served these with blanched baby bok choy (just add a teaspoon or two of vegetable oil to boiling water for that “shiny” look, and blanch for 30 seconds). 

Mix your cornstarch slurry, and pour into the sauce to thicken. Once it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, stir in ¼ teaspoon sesame oil and the green parts of the scallions. Once the scallions are wilted, drizzle the sauce over the meatballs.