AI-generated photo.
Chinese · Iconic, Jiangsu · China
Lion head
Also called 狮子头
Lion head (狮子头), a Jiangsu plate from China.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Lion head is cooked in Jiangsu as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Fold ginger and scallion into the meat, shape large soft balls, and braise them on cabbage until they are tender through. Pork is the usual meat. Lean beef is what this pantry weighs. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
82
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Gentle
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 39%
- Carbs 10%
- Fat 51%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 32.9 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 504 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Watch · Pregnancy caution
Alcohol, liver, caffeine, a higher-mercury fish, or a soft cheese is in the required list.
Watch · Gentle when sick
Fat or sugar is high for a day when appetite is low.
Watch · Kid-friendly
Alcohol or liver is in the required list.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Ground beef, 90% lean220 kcal
- Toasted sesame oil31 kcal
- Firm tofu23 kcal
- Low-sodium chicken broth20 kcal
- Egg18 kcal
- Napa cabbage12 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 4.3. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 349 kcal.
Allergens. Egg, Gluten, Sesame, Soy, Wheat
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 349 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 349 kcal | 17% |
| Protein | 32.9 g | 66% |
| Carbohydrate | 8.9 g | 3% |
| Fiber | 1.4 g | 5% |
| Total sugars | 2.7 g | 5% |
| Fat | 19.2 g | 25% |
| Saturated fat | 6.3 g | 32% |
| Cholesterol | 128 mg | 43% |
| Sodium | 504 mg | 22% |
| Potassium | 778 mg | 17% |
| Calcium | 120 mg | 9% |
| Iron | 4.1 mg | 23% |
| Magnesium | 50 mg | 12% |
| Zinc | 6.8 mg | 62% |
| Vitamin A | 29 mcg | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 21.8 mg | 24% |
| Vitamin D | 0.4 mcg | 2% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 1 mg | 7% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 78 mcg | 65% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.1 mg | 7% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.3 mg | 24% |
| Niacin (B3) | 8.1 mg | 51% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 mg | 35% |
| Folate · estimate | 58 mcg | 14% |
| Vitamin B12 | 3 mcg | 125% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Contains alcohol. Skip it in pregnancy and whenever you avoid alcohol, or use the swap.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot with a lid
- Scale
- Tongs
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Ground beef, 90% lean1 lb500 g
Firm tofu0.4 block120 g
Scallion3 stalks30 g
Fresh ginger2 slices10 g
Egg1 egg50 g
Napa cabbage0.5 head300 g
Low-sodium chicken broth2 cups500 ml
Shaoxing wine2 tbsp30 ml
Cornstarch1 tbsp12 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp15.22 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Lion head. Heat to 325°F / 163°C in the oven, or a quiet simmer on the stove and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh ground beef, 90% lean, firm tofu, scallion, fresh ginger, egg, napa cabbage, low-sodium chicken broth, shaoxing wine, cornstarch, kosher salt, toasted sesame oil. Lion head is cooked in Jiangsu as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Fold ginger and scallion into the meat, shape large soft balls, and braise them on cabbage until they are tender through. Pork is the usual meat. Lean beef is what this pantry weighs. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Lion head is cooked in china. Also called 狮子头. Braise with the liquid halfway up the food, not drowning it.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Lion head, until the edges take a little color. Keep the heat at a murmur. A hard boil beats tender food into strings.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Lion head at 325°F / 163°C in the oven, or a quiet simmer on the stove. Start checking at 74 minutes. Lion head is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Braise 74 min
- 🇨🇳 ChinaEast Asiaicon-china-lion-head-step-4
Lion head, step 5
Step 5 · Lion head
5Check the center of Lion head, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇨🇳 ChinaEast Asiaicon-china-lion-head-step-5
Lion head, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Lion head for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in china, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Lion head in this shot order and no other: a skewer pulled from the center; a blender lid held down for the puree; liquid going in and lifting the fond; the oven dial and a hot rack. Slate words for the editor: twilight, olive, iron, gloss, glaze, cedar, violet, quiche, sear, nacre.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Lion head is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Lion head looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Lion head turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Lion head, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Lion head is one of the plates people ask for by name from Jiangsu.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Fold ginger and scallion into the meat, shape large soft balls, and braise them on cabbage until they are tender through. Pork is the usual meat. Lean beef is what this pantry weighs.
Allergens in the required list: Egg, Gluten, Sesame, Soy, Wheat.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.