Braised Lion's Head (狮子头, shīzitóu)
A large pork meatball chopped by hand (never a mixer!), airy and tender, slowly braised in a clear broth with napa cabbage. The name comes from its round shape and ruffled surface that evokes a lion's mane.
A large pork meatball chopped by hand (never a mixer!), airy and tender, slowly braised in a clear broth with napa cabbage. The name comes from its round shape and ruffled surface that evokes a lion's mane.
Back home in Xinghua, Jiangsu, we never mince meat by machine — we cut it by knife into tiny dice so it stays light and doesn't turn into paste. My grandmother used to say a good lion's head should wobble when you set it down, almost like a custard. It simmers for a long time over very low heat, until the cabbage softens around it. When I come home from a tournament, this dish is waiting for me: you need patience to get it right, just like winning a long game.
- •Pork shoulder (half lean, half fat) — a good piece (base of the meatball, chopped by knife)
- •Bamboo shoot or water chestnut — a handful (crunch and freshness inside)
- •Napa cabbage — a few leaves (braising bed)
- •Ginger and scallion — to taste (aroma, ginger water to lighten)
- •Shaoxing rice wine — a splash (remove meat odor)
- •Light soy sauce and sugar — measured (seasoning, roundness)
Braised Lion's Head (狮子头, shīzitóu)
A large pork meatball chopped by hand (never a mixer!), airy and tender, slowly braised in a clear broth with napa cabbage. The name comes from its round shape and ruffled surface that evokes a lion's mane.
Why this dish? The "lion's head" meatball is THE signature dish of Yangzhou and Jiangsu, Hou Yifan's home province. It is a dish of family reunions and festive banquets — the one brought out when a local girl returns with a world champion title.
Back home in Xinghua, Jiangsu, we never mince meat by machine — we cut it by knife into tiny dice so it stays light and doesn't turn into paste. My grandmother used to say a good lion's head should wobble when you set it down, almost like a custard. It simmers for a long time over very low heat, until the cabbage softens around it. When I come home from a tournament, this dish is waiting for me: you need patience to get it right, just like winning a long game.
Ingredients (period version)
- Pork shoulder (half lean, half fat) — a good piece (base of the meatball, chopped by knife)
- Bamboo shoot or water chestnut — a handful (crunch and freshness inside)
- Napa cabbage — a few leaves (braising bed)
- Ginger and scallion — to taste (aroma, ginger water to lighten)
- Shaoxing rice wine — a splash (remove meat odor)
- Light soy sauce and sugar — measured (seasoning, roundness)
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder (60% lean / 40% fat) — 500 g (meatballs, hand-chopped into small dice)
- Canned water chestnuts — 60 g, finely chopped (crunch)
- Napa cabbage — 1/2, separated into leaves (cooking bed)
- Ginger — 20 g (+ ginger water) (aroma and lightness)
- Chinese scallion — 3 stalks (aroma)
- Shaoxing wine — 2 tbsp (deodorize)
- Light soy sauce — 1.5 tbsp (salty umami)
- Sugar — 1 tsp (rounds out)
- Cornstarch — 1 tbsp (binds the meatball)
- Egg — 1 (binder and fluffiness)
Method
- Cut the pork by knife into very small dice, then chop roughly — we want texture, not paste.
- Mix with water chestnuts, ginger, scallion, egg, wine, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Incorporate 3-4 tbsp cold ginger water, stirring always in the same direction: the mixture should swell and become airy.
- Shape into 4 large wet meatballs (orange-sized) between your palms.
- Sear them for 1 min in a little oil just to color, without hardening.
- Line a pot with cabbage leaves, place the meatballs on top, cover with light broth (water + 1 tbsp soy sauce). Cover and braise at a simmer for 60 to 90 min.
- Serve each lion's head on a bed of tender cabbage, drizzle with broth.
How it was made : The dish is attested as early as the Sui dynasty in Yangzhou according to local tradition, and remains a pillar of Huaiyang cuisine. In the past, cooked in earthenware jars by the hearth, the very slow braise was key: you didn't "cook" the meatball, you let it soften for hours.
The contemporary twist : For a tournament presentation, place the meatball on the cabbage like a centerpiece on a chessboard, and glaze with a reduced, shiny broth as a "winning move."
Hou Yifan · Charactorium
