21 January Saturday

“I would never make this at home,” many of us have said. True, though I never say never, I am less likely to make sushi rolls at home than other things. I would really not make a burrito at home because there are so many better ones right in the neighborhood. I doubt that I would make a pork broth for Ramen that stands up to the giant vats of low, long, slow simmer. However, I am a fan of home cooking from cultures other than my own. Like Indian food, when made at home with your own spice blends and fresh yogurt, really puts restaurant offerings into perspective. The same is true with Chinese food.

Yesterday, I did it. I made Lion’s Head meatballs. One of the truly great things about Chinese food is the name of the recipes. Cat’s claws, Lion’s head, Dragon’s tails. These names, so much more exciting than, say, pot roast and mashed potatoes, add to the fantasy of this cuisine. I wonder how many more American children would love to eat new things if they had fantastical names. Instead of pot roast and potatoes, we could call it Little Cow Sleeps in the Clouds? I don’t know.

Lion’s Head meatballs- finely diced pork belly, scallions, ginger, in this case Dungeness Crab meat, wrapped in cabbage leaves, simmered in stock. Boiled noodles, tossed in soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallions. Stir fried boy choy with shiitake mushrooms.

I got these recipes from a wonderful book called Land of Fish and Rice by Fushia Dunlop. She has written several great books based on her travels, research, and culinary adventures in China. She has an insatiable passion for China and its food, and her books are inspiring. I learned something very interesting about making meatballs in a Chinese fashion that is guaranteed to make your life better.

After finely dicing the pork belly, we mix it in a bowl with several other ingredients, preferably by hand. Here’s the thing-you should always mix in the same direction. For me, clockwise. The reason for this is fascinating. When you mix meat mixtures in the same direction, the fibers of the meat line up, making the meatballs much softer and smoother than typical Italian meatballs which have a more chewy texture. Now, I think the best Italian meatballs are also smooth and tender, but I definitely notice the difference when I mixed this way. The meatballs just barely held together and were so soft and so tender, so rich with ginger and scallion, they were lifted to the status of Lion’s Head.

The noodles could not have been simpler, and are the perfect way to make them on a weeknight if you are stir frying other things or what not. Chinese wheat noodles, boiled in water, then tossed in a bowl with soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallions. So so good and easy. Kids will love them, especially if you omit the scallions.

I didn’t take any pictures, because I am not a photographer and I was so focused on making the food, I forgot that I am not a photographer, and really, that’s the better excuse. A friend took a picture of me throwing the bok choy in the wok, and then, apparently thinking about bok choy. Notice that the bok choy is most certainly adult, baby is all grown up.