I don’t really associate New Year’s Eve with champagne or sequins. Instead, I associate New Year’s with food — maybe even more than Thanksgiving or Christmas, at my house, New Year’s Eve meant a family feast. A traditional Chinese New Year (and regular December 31 New Year’s Eve, because we totally double-down on our New Year’s celebrations) at my house was hot pot and “long life noodles,” hot pot because it symbolized prosperity and celebration, and noodles because they symbolize … well, long life.
You’re like, but wait. I don’t see any noodles. Or pots that are hot. So … I’m not a huge fan of either one. (Sorry Ma.) I don’t have the equipment for hot pot, for one, and for the other, I tend not to like the soup noodles we usually have, and find them a bit too doughy and bland. So instead I thought I’d share with you another recipe that means family to me. (Plus, About.com says these are a Chinese New Year’s food too, so I’m gonna roll with it.)
Shanghainese lion’s head meatballs are one of my dad’s favorite foods, and the recipe was originally my great-grandmother’s, on his side. She raised my father for most of his childhood, so many of his memories of childhood food come from her — savory sautéed Shanghainese can dou, or fava beans, large white steamed buns when they could get their hands on good flour, soup wontons, these lion’s head meatballs. Oil was hard to come by back then, and used only sparingly, but my dad remembers that these meatballs were one thing that they wouldn’t hold back the oil for.
My dad missed these so much when our family moved here that he learned to cook just to make them — they’re that good. The meatballs are first fried briefly, then steamed for longer over an impossibly tall pile of bok choy, so that the oil and juices from the meatballs lend a savory-sweetness to the bok choy underneath as it cooks down. They turn out comfortingly flavorful without being overwhelming, tender and juicy with an abundance of addictively warming umami. (How do you even use the word umami? They were incredibly umami? They were umami-y? Questions. So many questions.) It’s almost hard to call them “meatballs” because that seems to connote spaghetti and boldly herbed, strongly textured balls of ground beef — this isn’t it. These are soft and comforting, homestyle food, the kind that feels like your grandmother’s hug. Bowl #2 had them for the first time and half the pot was gone before I’d finished my first (no easy thing for someone who’s pretty indifferent about food!)
My great-grandmother passed away a few years ago. (She was 102. Or 103. Or 4. At that point no one was super sure.) For most of my life she was the sharpest, liveliest, most vibrant old lady I’ve ever known (goals), but the last time I saw her, she was in hospice care, beginning to forget most things. But one thing she did remember in vivid detail was a story about my father when he was a toddler — a time that she came out of the house to find my dad squalling because some of their chickens had stolen a steamed bun right out of his hands. Above all the things she’d forgotten, she remembered my dad’s unsteady toddler steps as he backed across the yard with that mantou in his hands, his quivering staredown with a rooster almost as tall as he was. The clunk as his back hit the gate, shutting it behind him. The way he burst into tears when that rooster snatched his precious bread out of his fingers. And her happiness at giving him another one, even if it was the last one from their rations, the one she’d meant to eat herself.
The first time my dad made these, he said it was like he felt my great-grandmother’s palpable pride that he’d made something of hers from his childhood. For whatever reason, when it was my turn to make them, it felt important to me, too. Like something I needed to do in this year of becoming a working adult, of not going home for Christmas, of “financial independence.” It meant that even in times when I’m without my family, I’m with them through the kinds of simple foods that connect us, the kind that makes memories, the kind you remember even when you might forget everything else.
Happy New Year to you all, and hope you enjoy these if you try them! 🙂
Shanghainese lion’s head meatballs.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2–3 tbsp sugar
- 1–2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine, mirin, or sake
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 green onion, chopped finely
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 3 large eggs, beaten (2 if you want firmer meatballs)
- 1/4 cup green bean starch (if unavailable, cornstarch will work just fine)
- 1 pound baby bok choy, stems trimmed but otherwise intact (but, as you can tell from the photos, regular large bok choy will work just as well)
Instructions
- Combine everything but the eggs, starch, and bok choy together in a large bowl and mash vigorously until well-blended. I just use my hands.
- Add the starch and mix with a fork (I suggest withdrawing the hands-on approach at this point, because the starch makes it quite sticky).
- Beat the eggs and add them, mixing again to incorporate. The mixture will seem extremely liquid at first — just continue to mix and the egg will gradually absorb into the pork, leaving a thick porridge-like mixture. If you want rounder and firmer meatballs that you can shape with your hands, use two eggs instead of three. I thought this yielded meatballs that were lovely and tender, so I used three.
- Pour about 1/4 cup oil into a large wok, or enough to coat the bottom with about 1/2 inch of oil. Turn the heat to medium and give the oil a few minutes to warm up. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup or a large ice cream scoop, drop balls of the pork mixture into the wok in a single layer. Let sizzle in the pan for 2-3 minutes or until browned, then flip and cook the other side. Once the meatball is browned on both sides (it doesn’t have to be cooked through), remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. You will likely have to fry in two batches, depending on the size of your pan.
- Once all the meatballs have been fried, wash and clean the bok choy. Chop off the stems, and line the bottom of a large pot with the leaves. You can sprinkle the bok choy with a bit of salt if you like, though I found the leaves had enough flavor with the juice from the meatballs. Either way, place the meatballs on top of the bok choy and turn the heat to medium-low. Cover and let steam for 30-40 minutes, or until bok choy leaves have wilted and the stems are tender. If the pot begins to spatter too much, turn the heat down to low. When done, serve hot with rice!
Notes
Use baby or Shanghainese bok choy if you can find it. Naturally, the supermarket was out the one day I went to make these, so I used regular bok choy, which was just fine.
addalittle
Hey! I just made a blog post about my new year faves and you’re featured in it!
http://addalittle.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/happy-new-year/
Hope you have a great new year!
ps. great recipe – looks delicious!
tworedbowls
Wow, that’s some impressive company I’m in! I’m honored, Millie 🙂 Thank you so much and happy new year to you too.
addalittle
Your posts always make my mouth water! No problemo 😉
Lindsey (dolly and oatmeal)
What a lovely story behind these meatballs. It’s so amazing to think of all the stories behind the food that people produce..powerful stuff.
I too associate New Year’s Eve with food. My family and I would always gather around a large spread of cheeses, breads and fruit; it was the only way I knew how to ring in the new year and it’s left me with so many awesome memories.
Happy 2014 to you, my dear!
tworedbowls
Oh, that sounds like the perfect way to ring it in to me. I’ll take cheese over champagne any day! Thank you so much for sharing and happy 2014 to you too, lady 🙂
Lan | morestomach
i adore grandma (or in this case, great-grandma) recipe stories.
i love a good meatball, and the method of cooking these beauties is a new to me.
tworedbowls
How are grandmas/great-grandmas universally master chefs? My mom’s mom pretty much taught me how to cook Chinese food in the beginning (and my mom claims that she used to be a terrible cook when my mom was a kid!) The wisdom that comes with being a popo.
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
meatballs are always delightful but I think I am more of a hot pot person 🙂 Happy New Years.
URBAN BAKES
I looove meatballs and these look so flavorful it really makes me what to make some of my own, like now! lol By the way I’m dying to know, do you celebrate Chinese New Year (Jan 31st)?! I’ve notice you’ve posted several Asian inspired dishes. Well, I celebrate it and have been for the past 4 years (because of the bf) so when you described what the foods symbolize, I know exactly what you mean 😉
tworedbowls
Ooh, please try them! They’re really so easy and so comfortingly tasty. And yes! We do! (That’s what I meant by “double-down” but now I realize I may have been unclear. Oh, those jokes. They run away from me sometimes.) Isn’t it the best? Just an excuse to eat as much Chinese food as you can stuff into yourself. And when I was younger, get monay. $$ hehe 🙂 Happy new year, Connie!
URBAN BAKES
Oh no it’s not your joke, I must have over looked that detail. Oops. sorry lol
I think the best part of the CNY is the red envelopes. I still get them because I’m not married (yet) but when we do, that’s when I have to fork out the cash. (yikes because he has a large family).
Well, HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 🙂
tworedbowls
Oh man! I like your family/boyfriend’s family’s style! I haven’t gotten red envelopes in years… woe. hehe. Hope you’re having a wonderful start to your year!
Cate @ Chez CateyLou
I just love this post – what a special recipe! Your great grandmother would be so proud – they look so delicious! Bok choy is one of my favorite veggies – I can only imagine how delicious it must taste with the meatball juices all over it, yummmm!
tworedbowls
Ooh, you should definitely try this — bok choy steamed with these meatballs is my dad’s favorite way to eat bok choy, and it’s one of our favorite veggies too. 🙂 Happy new year, Cate!
Big Sis Little Dish
Wow! Beautiful photos. That first photo is totally stunning. Meat can be so hard to photograph. I am so impressed. I actually have all of the ingredients for this, so maybe I’ll give it a try….Except green bean starch, which I have never heard of. I have to rotate all of my flours and starches for health reasons, so perhaps I should add it to my roster!
tworedbowls
I’d never heard of it either! The package my dad had didn’t have a single word of English on it (or Chinese, I think it was a Vietnamese brand!) so I don’t think it’s very common at all. I used cornstarch here because I couldn’t get to a Chinese supermarket, and that will work just fine. 🙂 And thank you so much for your sweet words — photography feels super challenging to me always, so I really appreciate that! Happy new year!! 🙂
Linda
Mmm, I love lion’s head meatballs. Looking at your pictures, I can almost smell it, that indescribably familiar aroma of the mingling of ginger and scallions and shaoxing cooking wine. So comforting. And ground pork! Why is it so hard to come by except at Chinese markets? (There’s one in Chinatown where I used to buy it, but the last batch smelled strange so I’ve been avoiding it ever since.)
And I love your story behind this dish. Like your dad, mine learned how to cook just so he could make his beloved twice-cooked pork. He didn’t like the way my mom cooked it (not enough oil!) so he took over operations in the Sichuan food department, and peace has pretty much reigned in the kitchen ever since. 🙂
Happy new year!
tworedbowls
Linda! There is SO much to love about your comment! First, oh my god ground pork. I can’t even. Surprisingly, the local supermarket has it sometimes, but I feel like it’s always when I don’t need it! So now I’m paranoid and hoard it even when I don’t have any immediate plans to use it, just because it’s there. I have two packs in the freezer right now. Normal. (I’m convinced this supermarket has a sixth sense for thwarting me when I need things. Like this bok choy — can we just talk about how the shelves were overflowing with baby bok choy for a solid week right after I made this? Of course.) And also, I am not a huge fan of the pork in Chinatown either — I got pork belly from there once and was a little skeptical, too. I’ve had pretty good luck with the frozen meat at H-Mart, though.
And the story about your dad is absolutely hilarious. It’s the exact same with my dad and some quintessential Shanghainese dishes — like the can dou, which only he makes now, because, just like yours, my mom didn’t use enough oil. 😉 So funny. Happy new year to you, Linda!
eastofedencook
A splendid post from the nostalgic story to the scrumptious recipe! The bok choy cradling the meatballs is a very tasty photo!
tworedbowls
Thank you so much, Deb! 🙂 It’s kind of a new feeling sharing personal stories and memories, but also super fun. 😉 Hope you’re having a wonderful start to the new year.
Courtney @ Neighborfood
These meatballs looks stupendous, and your photos are just getting better and better! They’re so welcoming. I can never figure out how to use umami either so I usually just avoid it. Ha! New resolution is to figure that out in 2014!
tworedbowls
You’re so sweet, Courtney!! Thank you so much. Hahaha, as for umami… let’s just make a pact to use it in the weirdest ways possible. Hey, I dig your umami. Did you umami this enough? Your umami is showing. (OK, I’ll stop.)
Anonymous
Reading the post and the comments/replies are even better than actually trying the dish 🙂
Looking forward to your next one!
tworedbowls
🙂
Sam @ Love, Cake
Holy moly. Those are making me hungry. The idea of bok choy flavored with meatballs is almost too much to take. How about you make me these and I’ll bake you anything you want?!
Wonderful story about your family too. I’d love to hear more…
Happy new year!
Sam
tworedbowls
I so appreciate that, Sam! I couldn’t really decide whether to go with more personal details, so I’m glad to know that you liked reading it. 🙂 Especially since your stories are always so engaging. And um, DEAL. Meatball-making-pastry-baking party, just say the word. Happy new year to you too, lady! 🙂
MissFoodFairy
I just love meatballs! I am so excited to give these a try very soon. I have never heard of these meatballs before but reading your story of how your dad was impressed at how authentic they were, makes me eager to try them asap. Thank you for sharing and some new inspiration! 🙂 You have a new reader as I just love cooking & learning about all things Asian
tworedbowls
Aw, thank you so very much! I’m excited to have you and look forward to reading your blog too 🙂
Anonymous
Just made these tonight, and I will be doing so again. I served up a side of sautéed snap peas, shaved carrots, ginger and garlic, lightly salted. A great meal like this in roughly 40 minutes (my bok choy was done in about 30)? I say yes, again and again. Thanks for the story and the recipe.
[NOTE: I did not add the 1/2t salt to the meatball mix, as the soy sauce was plenty salty to my taste, and I used 2 eggs.]
tworedbowls
I’m so thrilled to hear that you liked them!!! And so glad that you adjusted to your taste. I’m always a little nervous about putting exact measurements on Asian recipes because at the end of the day, it’s all a little bit of improv — so happy and flattered you made these and enjoyed them 🙂
Nat
Trying these tomorrow! Any suggestions on what to serve with them?
tworedbowls
I usually just serve it with rice! My favorite thing about this is that it’s both a vegetable side and a meat main dish at once 🙂 so some rice is all I prepare in addition. What did you decide to go with? I hope they turned out well for you!!
Nat
They turned out unbelievably delish! I just did the rice, you are right, the bok choy was enough. I was concerned because my boyfriend doesn’t like rice unless there is a sauce of some sort involved, so I was trying to think of something different to assist. But these meatballs were so moist, they didn’t require anything extra! I’m tackling Chinese food this month as part of a New Year’s resolution and this was my Huaiyang choice. I did Szechuan last week! Any suggestions for Shandong?
Thanks for the great recipe! We will be making it again!
Steve Kwan
I had heard about the Lions’ head meatballs before and never had a chance to taste or make them. Made them the other night and the flavours reminded me of what my grandmother and mother made for special occasions. Thank-you for the recipe.
Vanessa Von Burg
My significant other’s popo use to make these. His mother makes them on occasion, but he says they aren’t close to the way his grandma made them. So I decided to look up a recipe for them and I found yours. We’ve used this recipe as our base 5 times and tweaked it slightly every time. Last time I finally got it to the density of his grandmother’s by using just one egg. We also only use one tablespoon of sugar, as his grandmother used Napa cabbage (which is sweeter). I’m making them again tonight. Thank you so much for a great recipe!
Amaka
My husband and I loved these meatballs when I first made them, can’t wait to make them again!! We are not big fans of bok choy though, could we substitute anything else??
tworedbowls
Hi Amaka, this makes me so happy! You should definitely experiment! I think any leafy vegetable is worth exploring. It’s also common to steam them over napa cabbage, although that will get quite delicate/wilted, so you could experiment with kale or swiss chard, too. (Kale and swiss chard might take a little longer to steam.) It’s also totally fine to steam them on their own without any veggies. Thanks so much for commenting and I’m so glad you liked these!