Ingredients
250 g (about 1/2 lb) pork with equal parts fat and lean, 50 g (about 1.75 oz) each of antler-shaped seaweed and dried shrimp, 2 eggs (about 100 g total), cabbage to taste, and 100 g (about 3.5 oz) cilantro.
Seasonings
Chopped scallion and ginger, 10 g each; fine salt, 4 g; MSG, 0.5 g; vinegar and sesame oil, each to taste.
Instructions
1. Wash the millet thoroughly to remove any sand; pick over and wash the deer horn seaweed, napa cabbage, and cilantro, then finely chop them all; wash the lean pork and mince it into a paste, place in a bowl, add the egg and mix well; cut the fatty pork into 0.6 cm thick slices, score both sides of each slice in a crosshatch pattern, then cut into 0.6 cm cubes.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the minced lean pork, chopped scallions, minced ginger, dried shrimp, chopped deer horn seaweed (or substitute with a similar seaweed), chopped napa cabbage, and chopped cilantro. Add white pepper, MSG (optional), and salt to taste, mixing thoroughly. Form the mixture into balls about 3.3 cm (1.3 inches) in diameter and arrange them flat on a plate. Place the plate in a steamer and steam over high heat for about 8 minutes until cooked through. Remove and transfer the meatballs to a large bowl.
3. Add clear broth and salt to a pot, bring to a boil, then add cilantro segments and return to a rolling boil. Stir in MSG, pour the soup into a large bowl containing the meatballs, drizzle with sesame oil and vinegar, and sprinkle with white pepper. This dish features a variety of ingredients, is rich in nutrition, fatty but not greasy, with a thick, flavorful broth.