Lion's Head Stew (Sha Guo Shih Tzu Tou)

No, this is not some exotic concoction made from, God forbid, the head of a lion. Rather, it's a delectable Chinese stew comprised of largish meatballs made from ground pork nestled in and covered by leaves of napa cabbage, immersed in a seasoned broth and cooked in a clay pot. Presumably, the meatballs resemble the head of lion, with the napa cabbage constituting the 'mane.' I believe the dish originated in Yangzhou and eventually became a fixture in Shanghai cuisine. Mom never made this dish when EE & I were kids, but I've tried it a couple times in recent years at some local LA Chinese restaurants. Really delish! The key is to make sure the meatballs aren't tough - they must have a really nice, tender, moist consistency. After perusing all my Chinese cookbooks, I realized the common word of wisdom across the board was to take your aggression out on this sucker - i.e., you have to throw the ground meat with gusto against the side of the bowl for several minutes in order to tenderize the mixture.

Best cooked in a clay pot, but if you don't have one, an oven-proof casserole with lid will do just fine. Great served with steamed white rice and, like so many stewed dishes, tastes even better the next day.