When I went out, I traveled to many places and tasted a lot of delicious food. Some were as exquisite as Jiangsu's "Squirrel Mandarin Fish", some were as simple as Shaanxi's "Leek Liangpi", and some were as elegant as Hangzhou's. "Longjing Shrimp", and the "Peony Banquet" as grand as Heze... However, when "I miss my loved ones even more during the holidays", only the simplest meatballs from my hometown can make me miss it and make my mouth water.
Jiangsu｜Yangzhou Lion Head
The delicacy of Huaiyang cuisine is not only reflected in the selection of materials, but also in its production technology, of which Lion Head is the representative. Take the hard five-flavored ribs, with distinct red and white colors, various layers, and a combination of fine fat and meat to achieve the effect of freshness and meaty aroma. When making lion head, different ingredients will be used according to different seasons. The fat and thin ratio of pork belly will also change. In spring and summer, it is half fat and half fat (50% lean meat, 50% fatty meat). In autumn and winter, it changes to fat and thin Panax notoginseng. (30% lean meat, 70% fat meat), the taste is smoother.
Making lion head is different from making fish balls and meatballs. Do not use a meat grinder to mince the pork belly into minced meat, but cut it out with one knife. First slice the pork with a flat knife, and then cut it into very small dices with a straight knife. The so-called coarse shreds, fine dices, the size of pomegranate grains, don't chop it with one knife, just chop it finely! For more exciting content, please follow the WeChat public account: Kitchen Movie Food. The advantage of this is that the meat texture is maintained, the tissue is still present, and the taste is kept fresh and tender to the maximum extent. The key is not to grind it with a meat grinder or chop it with a knife. In the true sense, the lion head is a delicacy that cannot be chopped with a knife.
Not only that, the lion's head is also very knowledgeable about how to cook and cook. Because the meat is all cut, it is not as sticky as the meat grinder, and it melts as soon as it reaches the entrance. For a better texture, eggs, cornstarch, etc. cannot be put here. If you want to make this pile of disjointed meat cubes form a ball, you need to put in some real effort. After adding the seasonings and stock, the meat cubes will be like a rubber ball. From left hand to right hand, from right hand to left hand, and so on until it stops falling apart. After putting it in the pot, heat it over gentle low heat for more than 4 hours. The noodle soup should always be in a state of boiling but not boiling. Otherwise, if the heat is too high, the lion's head will turn into rice soup.
The real admirable skill of Lion Head is in the seasoning, which must be strengthened by adding broth. The soup stock, that is, the soup made from pork leg bones, old hen, old goose, ham and other ingredients after being simmered for more than 8 hours, is the source of the delicious flavor of lion head. The bones are the base of the soup, the chicken is fresh, and the goose is rich. All three are the soul of the soup, and their tastes are different, so they are naturally fresh and layered. A successful lion head should have both mellow meat flavor and freshness. After serving it, take a closer look at its shape, and you will see that the lumps are uneven. This is because the fat and lean meat dices deform to different degrees after being simmered in the soup for a long time. If you put it in a small bowl, shake it carefully and put it on the table, the lion's head should tremble slightly in the bowl, and the body will look like a lion's head shaking water.
Jiangsu｜Huaian Qingong Meatballs
Qin Gong Meatballs are one of the top ten famous dishes in Jiangsu Province. They were also a famous "tribute" in the Qing Dynasty, so they are also Named Qingguan Meatballs and Qinggong Meatballs. In modern times, Qin Gong meatballs have been selected as Jiangsu Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage. Its characteristics are: smooth, delicate, elastic, white in color, thick in soup, and delicious. There is a local folk song praising: "Qin Gong meatballs are thrown over the wall." , it’s still round and smooth when you pick it up, and it jumps a few times when you drop it, and it’s tender and fragrant in your mouth.”
The meatballs may seem simple, but the production process is very delicate. Pork hind legs that have been slaughtered for no more than two hours are the best raw materials for making Qin Gong meatballs. Remove the fat and meridians, and take out the lean meat to ensure the stickiness of the meat paste. The key to making Qin Gong meatballs lies in the minced meat. The minced meat does not need to be chopped with a knife or minced with a machine. It is made by repeatedly beating two iron rods weighing two kilograms. Beating with a strong sense of form is not a performance, nor is it an unstructured use of brute force. This kind of manual beating is to not damage the fibers in the meat and keep its meridians intact, so that the final product will be crispy and tender. When beating, you need to observe the changes in the meat quality from time to time. It should not contain small meat particles, otherwise it will affect the taste. Finally, add refined salt, chicken juice, egg white and other accessories to the beaten meat paste, stir evenly, roll it into meatballs by hand, slide it into the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, and a delicious Qin Gong meatball is completed.
Shandong｜Four Happiness Meatballs
What Four Happinesses does Sixi Meatballs represent? In fact, it is composed of four meatballs with good color, aroma and taste, which embodies happiness and wealth in life. , longevity and happiness are the four major happy events. The recipe for Sixi Meatballs is basically the same as that of Lion Head, except that only four meatballs are used for Sixi Meatballs. In Shandong and even Beijing, Sixi meatballs are a must-have for New Year’s Eve meals.
Zhejiang｜Hangzhou Meatballs with Meatballs
Meatballs with Meatballs are one of Tangqi’s famous dishes. They are made with fresh meat and glutinous rice as the main ingredients and are slightly larger than a table tennis ball. Mariko. Mainly fresh meat and glutinous rice. First, chop the lean meat and fat meat in a ratio of 4:1 into minced meat, then wash out the glutinous rice, soak it in warm water for 3 hours, then take it out, drain it, and steam half of it in a basket. , then, mix the steamed glutinous rice with minced meat, monosodium glutamate, refined salt, green onions, minced ginger, wine, wet starch, and a little water, mix well, hold it into meatballs slightly larger than a table tennis ball, and put them into the serving bowl one by one. Roll the glutinous rice in the sieve so that the surface is completely covered with glutinous rice. Then, place it neatly into the steamer and steam it for more than ten minutes. When the glutinous rice is steamed and stands up like pearls, take it out and put it into a basin. Serve.
When eaten, the meat has the aroma of glutinous rice, and the glutinous rice has the flavor of meat. The two complement each other.
Zhejiang｜Jinhua Radish and Meatballs
In every Jinhua family, every major festival must make a plate of radish and meatballs. Jinhua people have been making radish meatballs for more than 1,000 years. What is special about it is its mix and match: the ratio of several main ingredients has long been agreed upon, 2 parts of radish, 1 part of diced meat, and 1 part of sweet potato starch. More radish will make it astringent, more diced meat will make it mushy, and more sweet potato starch will make it sticky. Take a bite of the radish meatball, the crispiness of the radish, the freshness of the diced meat, and the toughness of the sweet potato flour are intertwined together, it's so delicious.
Zhejiang｜Longyou Meatballs
Longyou Meatballs are also called "Shanfen Cake" and are mainly made from sweet potato starch and taro. Sweet potato starch is also called "shanfen" in the local area, hence the name Shanfen Kueh, which is made by folk village women. It is said that Longyou meatballs were originally made from arrowroot powder. However, due to the lack of arrowroot powder resources, people replaced the arrowroot powder with sweet potato powder. This not only filled their stomachs in that era of material scarcity, but also tasted like pork. Average deliciousness.
When making Longyou meatballs, people will add a certain proportion of taro and a little minced meat to the sweet potato flour. You can also add tofu or shredded radish according to preference. The shape of Longyou meatballs is irregular semi-circle, flat and round, uneven. The color is like a boiled tea egg, dark red and translucent, crystal clear. Garnish with some chopped green onion, and the red and green colors reveal a strong charm of traditional snacks. Longyou meatballs are very soft and chewy under the influence of sweet potato flour. They are mellow and attractive, moderately salty and have a long aftertaste.
Guangdong｜Daojiao Meatballs
Daojiao has always been a land of plenty, with abundant agricultural products and outstanding people, which have given birth to many local specialties, and this Daojiao meatball is one of them. Daojiao meatballs are the protagonist of Daojiao porridge. They are also one of the several famous local dishes in Daojiao that are requested by people who come to Daojiao to dine (including local people who eat out) - steamed Daojiao meatballs. .
One of the reasons why Daojiao meatballs are particularly delicious is that the pureed meat used to make the meatballs is neither chopped with a knife nor ground by a machine, but is made from the best fresh pork belly and cut into strips. , while it is fresh, beat it up and down with two solid iron bars and pound it into a puree. When it feels smooth and non-grainy, rub it with your hands to improve the toughness of the meat paste. For more exciting content, please follow the WeChat public account: Kitchen Movie Food. After a series of complicated processes, plus some squid tentacles, chopped green onions, salt, MSG and other seasonings, meatballs the size of jujubes were hand-kneaded, and each piece was allowed to pop out between the thumbs and placed in the steamer. Arrange and cook until cooked, and a cage of fragrant meatballs is born! The Daojiao meatball porridge cooked with it is also a famous snack in Guangdong. The meatballs of this porridge are clearly visible, and it is especially chewy and refreshing. The aroma of porridge and meat are both extremely strong, but fragrant but not greasy.
Guangdong｜Potato meatballs
Potato meatballs are a very classic Hakka dish. It uses pork belly, minced into pieces, topped with shredded squid, mushrooms, and dried shrimps, stirred with tapioca flour, and kneaded into a ball. Put it in a bamboo cage and steam for about 20 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle some pepper, chopped green onion or coriander on top to make it taste better. The so-called hot pot meatballs are meant to be eaten hot out of the pot. They are delicious and fragrant.
Fujian｜Mujin Meatballs
Meatballs are a traditional folk food in Fuzhou with a history of nearly a thousand years. Among all kinds of meatballs, Mujin Meatballs on Macao Road in South Back Street is the most famous. "Zhe (cai) Kaiding Back Street Mujin Meatballs is (very) delicious," everyone who has eaten it said so.
Mujin meatballs are so popular because they symbolize perfection and reunion. Secondly and most importantly, it is of high quality, fragrant, crisp and tender, and does not stick to your teeth. Mujin meatballs originate from Fuzhou rice cakes. They were originally made by mixing shredded taro with sweet potato powder and brown sugar, forming it into a half-moon shape in a bowl, and then spreading a thin layer of fat on top and steaming it. Later, the shop owner upgraded the original meatballs, mixed the meatballs with eight-treasure meat filling, and set strict requirements on the selection of materials. The white taro must be produced in Shanggan, Minhou, and the meat will be soft and moist after steaming; the mushroom powder must be produced in Minqing or Luoyuan, which is white and free of impurities; the brown sugar was originally produced in Xinzhou, which is sweet and pure. , but unfortunately the factory is now closed, so we can only use selected brown sugar instead; soy sauce should be selected with a delicious, mellow taste and fragrant smell. In addition, it is also necessary to choose fresh sesame seeds and red dates with full grains, and thick and white Luoyuan fat pork.
In terms of operation, the production of Mujin meatballs is also very meticulous. To make the outer shell, you must first peel the white taro and cut it into shredded taro of even thickness; grind the mushroom powder into fine powder and use boiling water to make the mature pulp; add brown sugar and water to make syrup; put the shredded taro into the pot and cook it Stir the slurry and brown sugar liquid, then add the remaining mushroom powder, add an appropriate amount of five-spice powder and golden food coloring, add water, stir evenly, and leave it overnight to allow it to gel. To make the filling, first cut the fat into small cubes of 0.5 cm, then core and chop the red dates, stir-fry the sesame seeds, then mix the three, add sugar, soy sauce, marinade, MSG, etc., and mix evenly Then leave it overnight to allow the five flavors to penetrate each other. It can be said that it takes 7 days to make the meat filling alone to remove the fat from the fat meat, making it oily but not greasy, and tastes like winter melon candy. Finally, scoop the fabric into a small dish, leave a space in the middle, embed the filling, seal it tightly with flour, and then place the pieces piece by piece in a lotus leaf steamer soaked in raw oil and water and steam for 30 minutes.
Each meatball must be turned over after serving to avoid sticking to the bottom. Yao Zuxing, the third generation successor of Mujin Meatballs, said that the reason why Mujin Meatballs are so long-lasting is because of its fine production, strict selection of ingredients, and unique formula, which makes it naturally delicious.
Anhui | Huizhou Yuanzi
Huizhou Yuanzi, also known as "fried pork with fine sand", is a traditional local dish in Huizhou. It originated in She County and spread throughout the country about 200 years ago. Huizhou Yuanzi uses cooked pig fat, kumquats, candied dates, and green plums as filling materials. It is first cut into dices the size of mung beans, and then added with white sugar and sugar-osmanthus and mix well to make a filling slightly larger than apricot kernels; Stir raw pig fat meat, eggs, wet starch, and fried rice into a skin; wrap a filling in each skin and shape it into a ball by hand; after frying, pour it with white sugar and green and red silk. Marinade, then drizzle with sesame oil, and serve on a plate. This vegetable dumpling has a golden appearance, crispy skin, sweet and fragrant filling, and a shiny soup. It is a traditional Huizhou dish.
Anhui｜Pueraria lobata
Huizhou mountainous areas are rich in Pueraria lobata, which is cool in nature and sweet in taste. The powder extracted from Pueraria lobata is called Pueraria lobata, also known as mountain starch. It is commonly used by Huizhou folk to make snacks. . "Arrow powder dumplings" are made by making pig fat, sugar, etc. into a ball-shaped filling. First roll a layer of arrowroot starch on it, do this three or four times, then put it in a basket and steam it until the outer skin is shiny black and has small bubbles. Arrowroot dumplings are soft and strong in texture, sweet in taste, and have the effect of clearing away the heart and improving eyesight.
Hubei｜Pearl Meatballs
Hubei folk traditional steamed dish, the selected ingredients include minced pork fat and lean meat, minced fish meat and diced water chestnuts, etc., plus refined salt, pepper, chopped green onion, minced ginger, Mix Shaoxing wine into the stuffing, squeeze into small balls, roll them with soaked and drained glutinous rice, and steam them in a drawer. After steaming, the texture is moderately soft and glutinous, and the taste is delicious. The rice grains are crystal white and shiny, like round and round pearls, which is very attractive and very suitable for family banquets.
Taiwan | Changhua Meatballs
Changhua Meatballs are a specialty of Changhua County, Taiwan. It is said to have been created by Wu Xu Shuitao, a meatball stall owner in Changhua City. The main ingredients of Changhua meatballs are specially selected sweet potato flour (produced after Qingming Festival), top-quality pork, shiitake mushrooms, egg yolks, winter shrimps, bamboo shoots with green onions, and cinnamon spices. After being cooked and steamed, the round skin becomes moist and rich. Flexible semi-finished product. Put it into the oil pan that is not warm and dry and fry it for a few minutes, then scoop it out and pour in the special condiments - a sweet sauce made from glutinous rice, peanuts, sesame seeds, sugar, and the best soy sauce from the bottom of the pot. It tastes delicious as the skin and filling are fragrant.
Taiwan｜Beidou Meatballs
Changhua Meatballs are well-known, but the Beidou Meatballs produced in another place in Changhua County are not only comparable to Changhua Meatballs They are fighting against each other and have a longer history. The biggest difference between Beidou meatballs and Changhua meatballs is the appearance and filling. Both are cooked in the same way of frying, but the Beidou meatballs are smaller in shape and are triangular in shape; the fillings only use bamboo shoots and pork. The production process is completely manual. It is first shaped to resemble the shape of a treasure island, steamed with high-temperature steam and then eaten, and then fried for a better taste. At present, the two most famous old restaurants are "Beidou Meatballs" and "Beidou Meatballs".
Taiwan｜Hsinchu Gong Wan
Gong Wan is made by "carrying (hammering the meat)" with a wooden stick or machine. The beating is called "Gong", and the round shape is called "Gong". Pill", hence the name "Gongwan". Gong Wan originated from Hsinchu. The founder developed it by beating the meat into balls because the meat was tough and had a fishy smell, which was not suitable for ordinary cooking methods. For more exciting content, please follow the WeChat public account: Kitchen Movie Food. Use fresh warm pork, remove the tendons and oil, chop it into pieces, beat it with a hammer, add seasonings, and make it into round pellets. Most of the famous snack bars in Hsinchu make their own homemade tribute balls. Due to their elastic texture, crispy and delicious taste, they are famous throughout the province and are deeply loved by ordinary consumers.
Jiangxi｜Ningdu Meatballs
Ningdu County is a place where Hakkas migrate. In order to escape the war in the Central Plains and suffer from migration, the Hakka people in Ningdu are looking forward to a peaceful and prosperous age, eager to reunite their families and enjoy peace and tranquility forever, so they specially made a delicacy with outstanding local characteristics and a strong festive color. That’s the round Hakka meatballs. Ningdu meatballs are a must-have dish for Ningdu Hakkas during the Chinese New Year or weddings, which means reunion, happiness and happiness.
Ningdu people are very particular about making meatballs. They have to use a scale to weigh how much meat and sweet potato starch they put in. If they add too much, the meatballs they make will not be tough enough, and if they add too little, the meatballs will have less cohesiveness. Not good, it tends to fall apart and not take shape. Generally, one pound of meat is mixed with three ounces of sweet potato starch. Pork is usually made from the front buttocks of pigs because the front buttocks are thinner and weaker. The processing procedures are also very particular.
The meat must be fresh, and the meat is placed in a nest made of stone. People hold big wooden hammers and take turns until the meat is minced. After the meat is minced, the meat is weighed and proportioned according to the weight. Mix sweet potato starch with water and pour it into the nest, mix well with the meat, and finally scoop it up and put it in a large basin.