Lion's head braised Chinese meatballs - two ways

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I've loved this dish since I first discovered it in Mai Leung's Classic Chinese Cook Book several years ago.  That was the first time I'd heard of it, and over time I have modified to suit my taste.

Today I modified things to suit the market (and my pantry).

These meatballs are a natural comfort food; they simmer in a savory stock studded with cabbage and mushrooms which can be made into either a thick sauce, or served as a soup.  I'm sharing both with you today.  The backbone is simple ground pork; the store only had completely lean pork available so I have added 75 / 25 ground beef to add a bit of fat.  The result was a bit loose, and the meatballs turned out a bit more like polygons, but the flavor was fantastic.

The wilted cabbage leaves are said to resemble the mane of a lion; with a little creative license it works out fine.

THE RECIPE

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

1# ground pork
1# ground beef, 75 / 25 fat
1 can water chestnuts (or fresh); minced
1 can bamboo shoots (or fresh); minced
One 2in. length fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
4 scallions, minced
4 T black (thick) soy sauce
3 T cornstarch
2 T shaoxing cooking wine
2 T sesame oil
1 T granulated sugar
1 T ground white pepper
1 t minced garlic
1 t five spice powder
3-4 drops chili oil
1 egg
Corn oil for frying

Mix above ingredients in a bowl, enough to blend but do not overmix.  Form 8-10 balls and set aside on a plate.

FOR THE STIR FRY

1 head Napa cabbage
6 dried Shiitake mushroom slices
Corn oil for stir frying

4 cups chicken of beef stock

Salt, to taste

3 scallions, minced

Remove 3-4 outer leaves and set aside.  Reconstitute the mushrooms in hot water, approximately 30 minutes.  Core the cabbage and shred lengthwise into 1 inch strips.  Drain the mushrooms and press out excess water; dice and reserve the liquid.

VERSION 1 - LION'S HEAD IN SOUP

Heat a wok; add a bit of oil and brown the meatballs all over; remove and set aside.

(Click on image for larger view) Fresh from the wok.

Return the wok to heat; add the mushrooms and cabbage and wilt slightly.  Add the mushroom liquid and simmer 3-5 minutes.

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Transfer to a Dutch oven.  Add the meatballs and stock;

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cover with the whole cabbage leaves.

Bring to a boil; cover and simmer over low flame for 50 minutes.

(Click on image for larger view) Just done; here is the "mane".

Check the stock and adjust seasoning as desired.  For each portion, place some of the vegetables on the bottom of a bowl.  Add a meatball or two, garnish with one of the whole cabbage leaves on the side (to form the "mane") and scallions.

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VERSION 2 - LION'S HEAD IN SAUCE

1 - 2 cups braising liquid from the main casserole
1 T Shaoxing cooking wine
1 t light (thin) soy sauce
1 t Chinkiang (black) vinegar

2 T cornstarch
&
2 T cold water, blended to form a slurry

Steamed rice
scallions, minced

In small saucepan, heat the first four ingredients.  Slowly add the cornstarch in increments.  Whisk the sauce as it thickens.  For each portion, place rice in a bowl; add some vegetables, a meatball and pour heated sauce over.  Garnish with scallions.

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Don't forget the Sriracha hot sauce as well!

Mushroom Confit

Confit was originally a means of preserving meats without refrigeration.  It was perfected in France, and today the most recognizable of these preparations is duck.  The meat is slowly cooked in its own rendered fat and a bit of salt, then stored in this fat.  Duck confit is one of the cornerstones of cassoulet - hey, fall is coming - that's a must-make dish for me soon!

Fruit can also be prepared confit (it is preserved in sugar) as well as vegetables, such as I am preparing today.

Of course I have to make a hybrid / crossover dish; I can't leave well enough alone.

We had a surplus of mushrooms at work this week, and our Chef gave some of them to us for our own use; I was inspired to do something out of the ordinary with my portion.  I am pairing the woodsy, earthy flavor of the mushrooms with some of my favorite potherbs and the pleasant mustiness of white pepper.  I am using a little olive oil and equal parts butter and bacon fat for this confit preparation.  I even dropped in a bit of chicken fat (schmaltz!) from parts going into my chicken stock.



THE RECIPE

1 pound mushrooms, white, brown, or a mix of wild mushrooms cut into small slices or dices
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 shallots, minced
2 sprigs fresh basil, chiffonade
Leaves from 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
1t white pepper
1/2 t sea salt
2T balsamic vinegar
2T red wine
2T Extra Virgin olive oil
3-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

4T butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 pound thickly sliced pepper bacon
2-3 slices salt pork

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly oil a small baking dish.  Mix mushrooms, herbs and seasonings in a bowl.

Pour into the baking dish, top with butter and layer with bacon and salt pork.  Bake for one hour.  Stir the mixture and flip over the bacon and salt pork pieces.

Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.  Remove bacon and salt pork, increase oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until sauce is reduced and top layer is caramelized.  Stir and store for future use.

Use this mushroom confit as a soup base or topping for meats, baked potatoes or vegetables (as I will in an upcoming post).