RECIPE: BRAISED SHIZITOU/PORK BALLS

An easy and hearty dish for cold days. If you have a wok burner on your BBQ outside, I’d recommend you fry the cabbage there. I was not impressed with the splatter in my clean kitchen; although I would have froze if I did fry it outside! I served it with rice and FIVE COLOURED OMELETTE.

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)
½ kg minced pork*
2 tbsp finely minced leek* (or substitute with 1 brown onion – I grated it)
½ tsp ginger juice* (grate thumb size ginger and squeeze for juice)
½ tsp salt*
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine*
1 tsp white pepper*
1 egg
1 scant tsp sesame oil
2 to 3 tbsp corn flour

Oil for frying

8 Chinese cabbage/wombok leaves – cut into 4 cm lengths
1/3 cup Chinese light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tsp chicken stock powder

Method
Spread the mince pork on a chopping board and chop the meat until very fine.

Place the pork in a bowl and add * ingredients. Mix together well with hands.

Beat the egg, add to the mince, followed by the sesame oil and half of the corn flour. Mix well and keep on adding corn flour until the mixture is smooth and holds well together. Make sure the mixture is not too hard.

With some oil on your hands, form into rissoles/balls; the size depending on your taste. I prefer them slightly larger than a golf ball.

Heat oil in a wok and fry the rissoles over high heat until the outside of the rissoles is crisp and sealed. Lower the heat and cook until golden brown. Lift, drain on paper towels and set aside.

In the same oil, fry the wombok for 15 secs until sealed. Be careful here as the oil will splatter. Lift and line the bottom of a flame proof earthenware with the wombok. Place the rissoles on the leaves.

Using hot water from the tap, add 4 cups or sufficient amount of water to cover the food in the pot. Add in the soy sauce, Chinese rice wine and chicken stock powder.

Bring to the boil then simmer, covered for up to an hour. Cooking times depends on the size of the rissoles. My pork balls were ready in 40 mins.