Lion’s Heads in Coconut Sauce

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup soy milk
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
4 scallions, chopped, divided use
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 pound ground pork
5 water chestnuts, chopped finely (fresh preferred; if you can’t find fresh, you may use canned, but in that case my preference is to use jicama instead, about 1/4 cup chopped
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground roasted Szechwan pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Oil for pan-frying

Mix coconut milk, soy milk, ginger, red pepper flakes, 1/4 of the scallions, and the fish sauce in a small bowl.

Mix ground pork, the remaining scallions, the water chestnuts or jicama, cornstarch, egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, Szechwan pepper, chili oil salt and sugar. Form into large balls — you can make 8 really large ones, or 16 like I did here. Film a large skillet with oil and cook the meatballs in batches, turning them to brown on all sides — until just cooked through, about 10 minutes total. (The meatballs can also be pan-fried, steamed or baked, if you like.)

Simmer the sauce in a saucepan while you cook the meatballs, then drop them into the sauce to get coated as they cook. Serve hot!

Lions’ heads can also be served as is, without sauce. Or use the customary accompaniment of shredded cabbage (the lion’s mane). I had some coconut milk in the refrigerator that I needed to use, so a coconut sauce was an instant inspiration. Prepping the ingredients are easy enough. And I love making the meatballs large. It’s the shaping while you cook that gets frustrating. I almost always end up with something resembling rounded pyramids, which we all know aren’t the shape of lions’ heads. Still delicious, though.