Paleo Lion's Head Meatballs (Whole30, Keto)
Paleo Lion's Head Meatballs are Whole30 and Keto friendly. Paleo meatballs with napa cabbage stew in a light savory sauce. This is the best Paleo comfort food!
Paleo Lion's Head Meatballs are Whole30 and Keto friendly. Paleo meatballs with napa cabbage stew in a light savory sauce. This is the best Paleo comfort food!
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1.5 lbs ground pork ((80% lean 20% fat / 70% lean, 30% fat))
- quarter of one whole nappa cabbage or half of one separate stems from leaves)
- 2-3 halved baby bok choy ( optional)
- avocado oil/ghee ( to pan-fry the meatballs)
- 4 bulbs ( scallions, chopped)
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- â½ tsp coarse sea salt
- 1 large shallot ( finely chopped)
- 2-3 tsp arrowroot powder + more for dusting
- (1-3 tbsp water or chicken/veggie stock) *
- 1 egg* ( if the meat mixture feels very watery skip the egg. )
- 3 slices ginger
- 1-2 bulbs scallions ( dice to large sections (about 2-3 inch))
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- coarse sea salt ( lightly sprinkle over cabbage)
- Carbohydrate 1.34849307802489 g
- Cholesterol 1.1076923086287 mg
- Fat 3.90651923535753 g
- Fiber 0.00507692307692308 g
- Protein 0.935081539248105 g
- Saturated Fat 0.610576846852392 g
- Serving Size 1 1 2-inch size meatball (93g)
- Sodium 52.8330000446345 mg
- Sugar 1.34341615494797 g
- Trans Fat 0.183929769442393 g
- Calories 44 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix ground pork with ingredients under “meatball seasonings” with the exception of water. Use your hands to gently mix and press the ground meat in circular motion until the ground pork becomes almost like a soft paste-ish texture.* Optional, add 1 tbsp water/stock at a time to the mixture to keep it moist during mixing. Use up to 3 tbsp per 1.5 lbs ground meat.
- Form about 12 to 13 2-inch size meatballs and lightly dust each meatballs with a bit more arrowroot powder. Use both hands to gently toss the meatballs from one hand to the other again so that the arrowroot powder will coherent well and spread evenly with the meatballs.
- Heat 1 ½ tbsp avocado/ghee over a large skillet over medium-high heat, when hot, lower the heat to medium. Carefully sear the meatballs until the surface is in light golden brown but not cooked through. Do this in batches so not to overcrowd the skillet. Set aside.
- In a wok or dutch oven, saute 3 thin slices ginger and 2 bulbs scallions over medium-high heat with a bit salt until fragrant (about 10 seconds). Add meatballs in bottom layer. Add cabbage around the meatballs. Place cabbage stems closer to the bottom of the heating source and leaves over the stems and meatballs. Add the remaining braising mix (chicken stock/coconut aminos/sesame oil) and season with a bit more coarse sea salt over cabbage. Lower the heat to medium-low. Close with a lid. Half braise and half steam the meatballs and cabbage until the meatballs are completely cooked through and the cabbage turn softer (about 20-25 mins). If add baby bok choy, put them into the pot about 3 mins. before turning off the heat.
- Drizzle the braising broth over meatballs and cabbage. Serve immediately.
Tender pork meatballs nestle into crisp-tender napa cabbage leaves inside a savory broth that steams the mixture into a cohesive, aromatic dish. Creating this dish without grains or refined sugar relies on precise physical manipulation of the protein matrix.
- Mix the ground pork with circular motions until the mixture reaches a pasty, sticky consistency, which develops the myosin proteins required to bind the meat without breadcrumbs.
- Dust the formed two-inch spheres lightly with arrowroot powder before searing in avocado oil or ghee over medium heat to create a protective surface crust.
- Layer the napa cabbage stems closer to the bottom of the heating source because they require more thermal energy to soften than the delicate leafy tops.
- Maintain a medium-low flame with the lid firmly closed during the twenty to twenty-five minute braising window to ensure gentle, even steam circulation.
Adjusting traditional Chinese comfort food for paleo and keto diets simply requires substituting coconut aminos for soy sauce and arrowroot powder for cornstarch while preserving the essential meat-paste technique. Careful attention to the initial meat mixing stage prevents the large meatballs from crumbling during the dual-action braising and steaming process.
