红烧狮子头

STEP 1: The Lion Heads
400g minced pork
100g pork tenderloin( diced )
5 - 6 waterchestnuts( diced )
1 egg( beaten )
3 tbsps cornflour
Seaoning - 1 tsp chopped ginger, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, half tsp salt, 1 tsp white pepper, chopped spring onions( white & green ).

- Season the mince. Add in tenderloin followed by waterchestnuts, egg and flour. Add more flour if not firm enough. Form into huge balls and deep fry in smoking hot oil to brown quickly and form a crust. Doesn't matter if they're not cooked inside. Drain and set aside.

STEP 2: Entirely optional
- Dice a palm sized lard and render it till brown and crisp. Drain & reserve the fat. Add in chopped garlic and red chillies. Saute briefly and set aside. 

STEP 3: Other ingredients
8 or more leaves Beijing cabbage( remove the tougher parts & slice each leaf into 3 - 4 pieces/strips )
1 tsp finely chopped shallots
1 tbsp oil
1 mug chicken stock
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp brandy, dry sherry or chinese wine
salt & pepper to taste
potato starch/ cornflour slurry( for thickening )

STEP 4: Finishing
- If you did step 2, then saute the cabbage briefly in the reserved pork fat and set aside. Otherwise, don't bother. In a pot or wok, saute shallots in 1 tbsp oil till golden. Add in stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brandy, salt & pepper. Dump in the lion heads and gently stew covered for 30 minutes. Remove the heads and set aside. Throw in the cabbage and up the heat. Cook till limp and thicken with potato starch. Return the heads to the pot and mix through.

NB: Traditionally, Chinese cabbage is used. If you're using this, then cook the harder sections of the leaves first and add in the softer leaves just before returning the heads. If using Xiao Baicai, cook briefly, fish them out and arrange in a circle on a serving platter. Return the heads to the pot and continue cooking to the desired consistency before plating them into the Baicai circle.

If you did step 2, add light + dark soy sauce or just Kikkoman to it just before serving along with the Lion Heads. This "sambal" is to suit our local/Nanyang taste. It gives a kick to what is otherwise a plain dish.