Braised Lion’s Head (紅燒獅子頭)
A twist on the traditional Chinese meatballs I grew up eating, with more protein packed into each serving! This recipe includes my favorite Chinese braised sauce and the easiest method to whip up some meatballs - fast!
Ingredients:
Meatballs
1.7 lb ground turkey (I use the Butterball 93% lean)
1/2 block silken tofu
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
4 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp ground white pepper
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup shaoxing wine
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tsp salt
Chinese Braised Sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth (unsalted)
2 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp of brown sugar (I used brown monk fruit)
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 - 1.5 tbsp cornstarch (depending on how thick you like your sauce!)
Tools:
Large muffin tin
4 oz. ice cream scoop (link for mine)
Mixing bowl
Wok
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Bring all the meatball ingredients together into a mixing ball and combine well; everything should stick well together to form a thick consistency
Spray muffin tin with neutral oil
Using an ice cream scooper, scoop each meatball portion into the muffin tin; shape the meatballs with a spoon if the top surfaces are not “rounded” after transfer
Bake meatballs for 30 minutes
While meatball bakes, mix all the ingredients for Chinese braised sauce together, making sure the corn starch does not clump
Bring the sauce into the wok and turn on the stove to medium-low (or 2-3 on stove’s knob)
Let the sauce braise and bubble a bit before putting in your choice of bokchoy or napa cabbage
Once the vegetables are almost fully cooked, turn the fire off
Transfer the meatballs into the wok and pour the sauce generously over the meatballs
