Steps

1. Cut off the core of the napa cabbage and wash thoroughly.
   🕒 01:00
2. Roughly chop the napa cabbage into 2-3cm pieces.
   🕒 01:13
3. Finely chop the onion.
   🕒 01:51
4. Place 150g ground pork and the chopped onion in a bowl.
   🕒 02:18
5. Add all the meatball seasonings (1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cooking sake (rice wine), a pinch of grated garlic, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp potato starch).
   🕒 02:25
6. Mix with a rubber spatula until the mixture comes together and becomes slightly sticky. (This is the key!) Using a rubber spatula keeps your hands clean and reduces washing up.
   🕒 03:18
7. Prepare the soup base. Combine 2-3 tbsp soy sauce, 2-3 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine), 2 tbsp cooking sake (rice wine), and 600ml water in a pot.
   🕒 03:42
8. Add the chopped 300-400g napa cabbage to the pot.
   🕒 04:07
9. Heat the pot and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
   🕒 04:27
10. Stir everything, then cover and reduce heat. Steam until the napa cabbage is tender.
    🕒 04:47
11. Once the napa cabbage is tender and has released plenty of liquid, drop spoonfuls of the prepared meatball mixture into the soup to form meatballs. (This is the key!) Using a measuring spoon helps to form meatballs without touching them (like the Baskin Robbins method).
    🕒 05:15
12. Ensure the meatballs are submerged in the soup, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through.
    🕒 05:56
13. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or other seasonings as desired.
    🕒 06:19
14. While the soup is simmering, slowly drizzle in 1-2 beaten eggs in a thin stream.
    🕒 06:37
15. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a moment until the egg is softly set.
    🕒 06:57
16. Ladle into bowls.
    🕒 07:16
17. Garnish with chili oil (to taste) and coarse black pepper (to taste), if desired.
    🕒 07:36