Chinese Lion's Head Pork Meatballs With Vermicelli and Cabbage Recipe

Place tofu slices in a heatproof bowl, and pour boiling water on top to cover. Let stand for 30 seconds. Drain and transfer tofu to a paper towel-lined plate. Press gently on the tofu with paper towels to dry thoroughly.

Transfer tofu slices to a bowl. Using a fork, mash tofu into fine pieces. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ground pork, fatty ground pork, mashed tofu, diced water chestnuts, minced ginger, minced scallion whites, egg yolk, sugar, Shaoxing wine, salt, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and gently mix until well combined, being careful not to over-mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Working with wet hands, form small handfuls of meatball mixture into balls; you should have about 5 to 6 meatballs.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a non-stick pan. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, pan-fry the meatballs until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip meatballs and brown other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a large paper towel-lined plate.

In a bowl, combine chicken broth, remaining 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Mix well and set aside.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add bok choy and thick stem parts of Napa cabbage. Season with salt and cook for 3 minutes. Arrange meatballs in the pot in a single layer, pour chicken broth mixture in, and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak vermicelli noodles in warm water until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Stir vermicelli noodles and leafy parts of Napa cabbage into pot. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes longer.

To serve, bring pot to the table or carefully transfer everything to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining sliced green part of scallion on top and serve with white rice.