Ingredients for the Classic Clear-Stewed Version
- Main Ingredients: 800g pork belly (rib meat); recommended fat-to-lean ratio is 4:6 or 3:7.
- Secondary Ingredients: 100g water chestnuts, vegetable hearts (bok choy hearts), scallions and ginger, cooking wine, salt, and starch. (In autumn/winter, crab roe or winter bamboo shoots can be added or substituted.)
- Crucial Rule: Never use a meat grinder to turn the meat into a paste; it must be hand-chopped to preserve the texture and fibrous quality of the meat granules.
Traditional Handmade Preparation Steps
- Meat Preparation: Dice the fat and lean meat separately, then coarsely chop them into pieces the size of pomegranate seeds. Gradually add scallion-ginger water, salt, cooking wine, and starch. Stir in one direction and repeatedly slap/throw the mixture against the bowl until it becomes sticky and elastic.
- Shaping: Take an appropriate amount of the meat mixture and toss it back and forth between your palms to form a large, smooth meatball. A little starch water can be applied to the surface to prevent it from losing its shape.
- Arrangement: Line the bottom of a clay pot with vegetable hearts or cabbage leaves. Gently place the meatballs inside and cover the top with another layer of leaves to prevent the meatballs from rolling around and falling apart during stewing.
- Slow Stewing: Add stock or water until the meatballs are submerged. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a very low heat and simmer for over 2 hours. Maintain a gentle simmer throughout; avoid boiling vigorously.
Key Techniques for Texture Control
- Secret to Holding Shape: The meat mixture must be thoroughly stirred and slapped until elastic; keep the meatballs covered with leaves throughout the stewing process to help them hold their shape.
- Secret to "Melt-in-the-Mouth" Texture: The fat content should be at least 30%. Stewing for a sufficient time allows the fat to fully integrate into the broth, creating a rich flavor that is fatty but not greasy.
- Removing Gamey Odors & Enhancing Tenderness: Use scallion-ginger water instead of adding minced scallions and ginger directly. Adding the liquid in batches removes gamey odors without compromising the meat's tender, smooth texture.
