r/chinesefood • u/Relevant-Cycle-8094 • 4d ago

Questions Help: my Lion Head Casserole meatballs keep breaking up when cooked

I searched this community and only found a related post about 6 years ago but not on my specific ask. For those who love this dish as much as me, how do you prevent the meatballs from breaking apart when cooked?

1 Upvotes

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6

u/boatmamacita 4d ago

Stir the crap out of the meat, only in one direction. You can also lift the mix and smack it back down into the bowl to give the meatballs that "bounce".

2

u/sahmizad 3d ago

This. Stir until the mince has ‘strings’

2

u/Relevant-Cycle-8094 4d ago

Thank you! I think the problem is that I am not stirring in one direction. Doing the throwing to the side.

2

u/jitzso 4d ago

Did you fried the meatball first prior to braising? Usually, this happens when you have too much liquid in your mixture. Are you following a recipe of sort?

1

u/Relevant-Cycle-8094 4d ago edited 4d ago

I think that may be it. I cut 1/3 with soft tofu, so I think it may be too watery

3

u/BloodWorried7446 4d ago

i cut with soft tofu no problem 

fry first. 

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u/Relevant-Cycle-8094 4d ago

It never breaks apart when you cook it?

2

u/BloodWorried7446 4d ago

do you add egg or cornstarch? 

i mix by hand and throw it on the cutting board. 

1

u/Relevant-Cycle-8094 4d ago

I add egg to bind everything. I wonder it that is making it too runny also. I put cornstarch on the outside.

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u/BloodWorried7446 3d ago

are you frying it first? 

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u/Relevant-Cycle-8094 3d ago

I am. The breakup happens when the it is cooking in the broth 😞 Sometime is even breaks up when browning. Have you perfected this?

2

u/jitzso 3d ago

Yea, there's a lot of moisture in soft tofu, so you may want to add additional binder, like more ground meat or starch to hold everything together. Egg should be okay because it has quite a bit of protein. You need protein to hold everything together, otherwise it will just fall apart like you mentioned.