Hong Shao Shi Zi Tou - Red Braised Lion's Head - meatballs

Hong Shao Shi Zi Tou
Red Braised Lion's Head - meatballs

ingredients:
700 gr minced meat (pork)
4 tbsp water
8 water chestnuts
3 shallots
5 cm jahe (ginger)
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rices wine
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp flour + 3 tbsp water
3 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp kecap manis (dark soy sauce)
2 tbsp kecap asin (light soy sauce)
600 gr chinese cabbage (napa)
2 tsp palm sugar
300 ml chicken stock (see recipe)

preparation:
Mix the flour with the water. Chop the water chestnuts, the shallots and the jahe fine. Remove the bottom end of the leaves. Mix the meat and the water and form a fluffy mixture. Add the water chestnuts, the shallots, the jahe, the sesame oil, the rice wine and the salt and form 5 large balls. Dust the balls with the corn starch.
Heat in a wok the oil and fry the balls firm and brown and remove them. Clean the wok. Heat in the wok 6 tbsp of water and add the cabbage leaves. Steam the leaves for 5 minutes. Fill a casserole with 2/3 of cabbage leaves and put the balls on top. Add the stock, the palm sugar, both kecaps and cover it with the remaining cabbage leaves.
Braise the balls for 90 minutes in an oven at 160gr. Put the cabbage on a platter and staple the balls on top in the middle. Add the flour mixture to the sauce and heat it until it thickens. Then pour the sauce on top of the balls and serve.