Lion’s Head Meatballs and Leftovers

A fresh pork shoulder makes great sausage, both seasoned and unseasoned. I like to use the unseasoned for this dish, which is inspired by Cook’s Illustrated January/February 2020 featured dish. We updated the broth to include some of our favorite ingredients, which really elevates the flavor. This is great for leftovers, and can be repurposed in several ways.

Ingredients
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 lbs ground pork
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Sake
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
½ tsp white pepper
4 cups homemade vegetable stock
1 tsp miso paste
1 tsp gochujang
1 tbsp Mirin
¼ tsp sesame oil
1 small head of Napa cabbage (1 ½ lbs) quartered lengthwise, cored and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
4 oz Pad Thai rice noodles
½ tsp sesame seeds

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 °F.
Whisk baking soda, salt, and 2 tbsp water together in a stand mixer bowl.
Add pork to baking soda mixture and toss to combine.
Add egg, scallion whites, 2 tbsp soy sauce, Sake, ginger, sugar, and white pepper to the bowl.
Fit stand mixer with paddle and beat on medium speed until mixture is well combined and has stiffened and started to pull away from the sides of the bowl and pork has slightly lightened in color, 45 to 60 seconds.
Using wet hands, form about ½ cup (4.5 oz) pork mixture into 3-inch round meatball; repeat with remaining mixture to form 8 meatballs.
Put the stock in a Dutch oven then and add miso, mirin, 1 tsp soy sauce, sesame oil, and gochujang, bring to a boil then remove from the heat. Next place the meatballs in the broth with one in the center and seven around it. The meatballs will not be totally submerged.
Cover and put Dutch oven into the oven and cook for about one hour.
Transfer meatballs to a large plate. Add cabbage to the Dutch oven in an even layer and arrange meatballs on cabbage, paler side up. Cover, return Dutch oven to the oven and continue to cook until meatballs are lightly browned, and cabbage is softened, about 30 min longer.
While meatballs and cabbage cook, bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a large pot and cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package.
Place the cooked rice noodles into large soup bowls then ladle in the meatballs, cabbage, and broth. Sprinkle with scallion greens and sesame seeds and serve.

One of my favorite leftovers is to slice the Lion’s Head meatballs in half, sauté in a skillet until both sides are brown, then drop in a quick miso gochujang broth and cook for a couple minutes. These can be used with many sides like rice, noodles, or my favorite, sushi rice sticks.