Are Sixixiangxiang meatballs and braised lion's head the same dish with different names? What's the difference between the production methods? Braised lion's head and Four Joy Meetballs are the same dish, but with different names. Let me explain below. Braised lion head is a famous dish in Huaiyang. Because of its large shape and volume, it is called the lion's head. Later it spread to the north. Because it's convenient to eat, there are four restaurants in the north, so it's called Sixi Meet Ball. However, the practice in the north is far from the authentic Yangzhou Lion Head.

Braised lion's head feels like a big ball, but this big ball is very particular. The taste should be soft, with vegetables, oily but not oily. The meat is three fat and seven thin, chopped very finely, the size of a grain of rice, not too thin.

Authentic braised lion head is fried first and then steamed. Many places have changed their practices, frying first and then burning. Four Happy Meetings later became the classic practice of Shandong cuisine, inheriting the practice of Huaiyang cuisine, frying first and then steaming.

Today, the practice of braising lion's head in soy sauce is not what is written on the menu now, but according to the practice of Yangzhou locals, who have lion's head as their specialty. This is Mr Wang Huacheng, a classmate of essayist Liang Shiqiu. Let's take a look at the specific practice.

Mr. Liang Shiqiu, a famous modern essayist, said this when describing Mr. Wang Huacheng's management of lion's head:

First, first of all, the materials should be refined, and a piece of tender pork with three fat and seven thin should not be entangled in it. Don't chop into pieces when cutting. The secret lies in "cutting more and cutting less". Next to the knife, cut into pieces, the more broken the better, and then chop it a little.

Second, meat is easily broken without thickening powder, and adding thickening powder is not a taste. So put starch on your palm, knead minced meat into four balls, and let the balls be naturally wrapped with starch, but there is no starch inside. Flatten the meatballs slightly, put them in a pot and fry them, so that the surface of the meatballs is firm and golden yellow.

Third, the next step is steaming. Put a layer of winter bamboo shoots with hob blocks in the bowl, and put the fried meatballs in the bowl and steam them for more than an hour. When you open the lid, you will see a bowl full of oil floating. Skim off the oil with a big spoon or suck it with a big straw, so there is not a drop of oil in the bowl.

Such a lion's head should be eaten with a spoon instead of chopsticks. It is as tender as tofu. Add onion ginger juice, Shaoxing wine and salt to the meat. If you are willing to add sea cucumber, shrimp and water chestnut, you can do whatever you want, but chop it up.

At present, the method of frying first and then burning is adopted. The fried meatballs are put into clear soup and boiled with low fire 1 hour, then seasoned, thickened and served with processed vegetables.