Lion's head meatballs

Ingredients

• 900 gPork, ground, 84% lean / 16% fat, raw
• 110 gEgg, whole, raw, fresh
• 45 gCornstarch
• 120 gOnions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw
• 25 gGinger root, raw
• 25 gSoy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu)
• 12 gOil, sesame, salad or cooking
• 950 gSoup, stock, chicken, home-prepared
• 500 gCabbage, chinese (pak-choi), raw
• 30 gOil, peanut, salad or cooking

Method

1. Finely chop spring onion and ginger. Mix pork, egg, cornstarch, half the spring onion, ginger, 12 g soy sauce and sesame oil for 3 minutes until sticky.
2. Shape eight large meatballs of about 145 g each. Heat a total of 60 g peanut oil in a pan. Brown in two batches of four for three minutes per side and transfer to the pot; do not add the oil left in the pan.
3. Bring stock, remaining soy sauce and remaining spring onion to a gentle simmer in a wide pot. Add meatballs, cover and braise for 35 minutes at 95 °C; the broth and all braising fat are served as sauce.
4. Add bok choy around the meatballs and braise uncovered for 5 minutes until stems are tender and meat reaches 72 °C inside.
5. Place one meatball in each of eight bowls and divide all the bok choy and broth sauce among them.