Unique, Tasty and Healthy, You’ll Love These Loin’s Head Meatballs

Serves 4 – 6 Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

¾ t baking soda

½ t salt

2 pounds ground pork

1 large egg, beaten

2 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin

2 T soy sauce (gluten free)

2 T Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

4 t sugar

2 t grated fresh ginger

½ t white pepper

4 C chicken stock/broth

1 small head napa cabbage (1 ½ pounds), quartered, cored, & cut crosswise into 2” pieces

4 oz rice vermicelli

Directions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and hear oven to 325°. Whisk baking soda, salt & 2 T water together in a bowl of stand mixer. Add pork to baking soda mixture and toss to combine. Add egg, scallion whites, soy sauce, wine, sugar, ginger, & pepper. Fit stand mixer with the paddle and beat on medium speed until mixture is well combined and has stiffened and started to pull away from the sides of bowl & pork has slightly lightened in color, 45 – 60 seconds. Using your wet hands, form about ½ C pork mixture into 3” round meatball; repeat with remaining mixture to form 8 meatballs.

Bring broth to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Off heat, carefully arrange meatballs I pot (7 around perimeter and 1 in center; meatballs will not totally be submerged). Cover pot, transfer to oven, cook for 1 hour.

Transfer meatballs to large plate, add cabbage to pot in even layer and arrange meatballs over cabbage, paler side up. Cover return pot to oven and continue to cook until meatballs are lightly browned, and cabbage is softened, about 30 minutes longer.

Cook vermicelli according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Distribute evenly among 4 – 6 large soup bowls.

Ladle meatballs, cabbage & broth into bowls of noodles. Sprinkle with scallion greens, serve & enjoy!

**Fully cooked ground pork can retain a slightly pink hue. Adapted from Cooks Illustrated