These Chinese meatballs are so named because of their large size.When served in the center of cabbage leaves, the dish resembles a lion’s head and mane; or at least that’s what they say. In any case it is an unusual, delicious dish that’s easy to make.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (butt or picnic), coarsely ground in a food processor or meat grinder

　　1 scallion, trimmed and minced

　　One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

　　2 tablespoons soy sauce

　　1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

　　2 teaspoons sugar

　　1 teaspoon white pepper

　　2 egg whites

　　2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　1/2 pound Napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces

　　Salt to taste

　　1 quart beef or chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160)

　　1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, or to taste

　　

Step 1

Mix the first 8 ingredients together, just until combined, using your hands or a wooden spoon. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large casserole over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and stir-fry until softened, about 5 minutes, seasoning with salt. Add the stock and bring to a steady simmer.

　　

Step 3

With wet hands, form 4 meatballs with the pork mixture; handle gently. Slide the meatballs into the stock, cover, and simmer, undisturbed, until cooked through, about 2 hours.

　　

Step 4

Place the cabbage in a soup tureen and put the meatballs on top. Spoon the stock over the dish, season with sesame oil, and serve immediately.

　　

Deluxe Lion’s Head

Step 5

Add 1/2 cup chopped reconstituted wood ear mushrooms (see page 112) and 1/4 cup chopped peeled, fresh water chestnuts (or peeled jicama) to the pork mixture.

　　

Lion’s Head Pie

Step 6

A kind of delicious meat loaf: Omit the cabbage and stock. Press the pork mixture into a large shallow dish. Steam over hot water until cooked through, about 1 hour.

　　

Pearl Balls

Step 7

You may have eaten these in a dim sum house: Omit the cabbage, stock, and sesame oil. Soak 1 cup glutinous or sticky rice in water for 1 hour, then drain. Form the meat mixture into 1-inch balls, then roll them in the sticky rice to cover. Place the balls in a steamer and cook until the meat cooks through and the rice puffs and becomes sticky, about 30 minutes. Remove and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.