Winter Melon Meatball Soup (冬瓜丸子汤)

Instructions

1. 1Combine the ground pork with minced ginger, half the scallion, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and the egg white. Stir in one direction only for 2 minutes, until the mixture turns sticky and holds together when you lift a spoonful. This builds the protein network that keeps the meatballs tender instead of crumbly.

   🔍 Look for 单向搅打 2 分钟 · 2 minutes stirring in one direction

   Visual: 肉馅由松散斑驳变为光滑微亮的一团，能从勺上拉出丝状The paste goes from loose and speckled to a smooth, slightly shiny mass that pulls in strings off the spoon

   You know it's right when: 把碗倒扣 3 秒，肉馅不会滑落Turn the bowl upside down for 3 seconds and the paste does not slide out

   Always stir in one direction. Reversing direction breaks the network you just built.

2. 2Bring the water or stock to a boil in a pot. Add the winter melon cubes, return to a boil, then drop to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes, until the cubes turn translucent at the edges.

   🔍 Look for Medium-low 微沸 12 分钟 · 12 minutes at a simmer

   Visual: 乳白瓜块由外向内逐渐转为玻璃质感，切面泛出薄薄光泽Opaque white cubes gradually turn glassy from the outside in; a thin sheen appears on the cut faces

   You know it's right when: 筷子能毫无阻力地插入瓜块，但瓜块仍保持方形不散A chopstick slides into a cube with no resistance, but the cube still holds its square shape

3. 3Keep the broth at a bare simmer — the surface should tremble, not bubble. Shape the meatballs by squeezing the paste between thumb and index finger and scooping the ball out with a wet spoon. Drop them in one at a time around the pot.

   🔍 Look for Low heat 下完所有丸子约 3 分钟 · about 3 minutes to add all the meatballs

   Visual: 肉丸先沉底，随后逐个浮起；汤体基本清澈，只有少量灰色浮沫Meatballs sink at first, then rise one by one; the broth stays almost clear with only a few grey specks of foam

   You know it's right when: 下丸子过程中汤绝不能重新滚沸——一滚丸子就散The water never comes back to a rolling boil while you are adding them — a hard boil will break the meatballs apart

4. 4Skim off any grey foam with a spoon. Once all the meatballs have risen, continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Resist stirring; move the pot by swirling instead so the meatballs stay round.

   🔍 Look for Low heat 最后一颗丸子浮起后再煮 5 分钟 · 5 minutes after the last meatball rises

   Visual: 汤清到能看见锅底冬瓜块；肉丸紧实、色浅、形状均匀圆润The broth is clear enough to see the melon cubes at the bottom; meatballs are firm, pale and evenly rounded

   You know it's right when: 掰开一颗：中心呈均匀的浅粉色、无生红，汁水清澈Cut one open: the center is uniformly pale pink with no raw red, and juices run clear

5. 5Season with salt and white pepper. Turn off the heat and add sesame oil and the remaining scallion. Serve hot in deep bowls — winter melon soup loses its clean character if it sits and reheats, so make it close to the table.

   🔍 Look for

   Visual: 汤色清浅，冬瓜块通透，丸子呈象牙白，表面浮着葱绿与金色油珠Clear pale broth, glassy melon cubes, ivory meatballs, with scallion greens and golden oil beads on the surface

   You know it's right when: 汤味清甜，冬瓜用舌头一抿就化The broth tastes clean and sweet, and the melon yields with almost no pressure from the tongue