Meatballs are often an ingredient in wontons.
Beef dumplings are a variety of dumplings made from finely ground and flavored beef that are most commonly eaten in the southern part of China. They are particularly popular in the areas around Hong Kong. Usually about the size of a walnut, they are similar in appearance to fish balls, but are darker in color. They also have similar uses as fish and shrimp dumplings and can be used in soups or stews or rolled into a wrapper and cooked as dim sum. As the meat grinding process can take a long time, beef dumplings are often eaten in restaurants or bought frozen in supermarkets.
Some Chinese hot pot stews contain spinach or other green leafy vegetables.
The texture of a meatball differs from the texture of a typical meatball because the meat in a meatball is mixed into a fine paste. Most meatballs are made from ground meat, not blended, and are not ground to as fine a texture as is found in meatballs. The texture of the meat in a meatball is more like chicken nuggets or mechanically separated processed chicken than typical ground beef meatballs.
Like fish and shrimp dumplings, meat dumplings are popular in soups and Chinese hot pot, a type of stew that is cooked right at the table. A pot of boiling broth is placed in the center of the table and the ingredients are placed in the broth and allowed to cook. In addition to the meatball, other common ingredients added to the Chinese hot pot include thinly sliced meat, seafood, and frozen vegetables. Leafy green vegetables like spinach and bok choy and different varieties of mushrooms are also popular ingredients to add to a Chinese hotpot.
When used in soups, meatballs often accompany a similar type of broth. Fish broth requires a fish ball, just like beef broth requires the use of a beef ball, and mixed broths often have different types of balls. A type of soup popular in Hong Kong mixes meatballs and fish balls in a mixed broth.
Beef ball is also a popular ingredient used in dim sum, a type of snack or light meal. It is often steamed or fried, most often on cabbage or inside a wonton or egg roll wrapper. The most popular way to serve a meatball in dim sum is to cook a marinated meatball on top of a large cabbage leaf. At a dim sum meal, diners ate several plates of dim sum until they had enough. Dim sums are usually served in small plates and are designed to be eaten in one or two bites.