Breakaway Meatballs
June 12th, 2008 Posted in Cooking ideas
Well I have another 40 or so one-pound packages of what is surely some of the area’s greatest ground beef, since the quarter-cow was delivered a few weeks ago, and am dreaming up crap to do with it. I haven’t made meatballs in quite a while, and had some Mexican-ish touches conveniently lying around, so the pound of ground beef got mixed with:
- sauteed onions
- garlic confit
- minced jalapenos
- minced pickled carrots
- an egg
- chopped dried cranberries
- fresh coriander
- Mexican oregano
- ground chipotles
- breadcrumbs soaked in milk, then squeezed
I then made about 10 extra large balls out of all that, and whirred up a crust for them: toasted coriander seeds, cumin, peppercorns, sel gris, and a few crusts of old bread. The balls got rolled in it, placed on a silpat, and baked in the oven till crispy and well-done. They were quite spicy, and served simply with a baked potato and a good salad. Couldn’t photograph them in their just-cooked state — it got too dark outside! But you can imagine — deeply browned and yummy-looking.
There is something useful about looking at food pre-cooked, too, though; it sometimes gives you just enough hint to let you know you’re on the right track.
Just one of these was enough — well ok two — to feel happy and sated, so we had plenty for leftover lunches. Today I made a meatball sandwich with some homemade bread, chutney, and avocado, and plan on doing the exact same thing tomorrow, which is when I know I’ve hit upon a winner!
Any meatball makers out there? Got any tips I should know about?
4 Responses to “Breakaway Meatballs”
By Deno on Jun 13, 2008
I make mine a several different ways and right now that boils down to two favorites and a runner up: A poached variety where I blend up the meat, fresh breadcrumbs, egg and some herbage in a blender (hello vita prep) and pipe into poaching liquid hazelnut sized meatballs using a of a pastry bag and knife. They small, delicate and great with noodles. But my most favorite is type of meatball is one where I sweat on onion, blanch about a pound of zucchini cut into small dice, and mix this into a pound of ground beef, with an egg, seasoning and a few ounces of grated parmesan cheese. I make them large so they are beautifully studded with the squash. I sauté them in a few ounces of oil until nice and brown all over. They are lovely, especially with a nice light pilsner. The runner up is more of a traditional meatball, made with beef, pork, and veal - heavy on the garlic and stuffed with cheese, and baked - but really they are kind of over the top for summer.
By Eric on Jun 13, 2008
Sounds pretty amazing, deno. I thought about frying them first in cast iron, but I thought I might be able get the same degree of crispiness via a superhot oven, and save on the fat a bit. Want to try yours, however!
By Bron on Jun 24, 2008
I love burgers and recently had some lamb mince that I wanted to use. I had a hankering for spiced white bean paste and pittas and the sweet softness of beetroots. Lamb is so often the central dish to middle eastern meals so some little lamb balls seemed like a good idea. I wanted them to have variations in texture as well as flavour and so I added some soaked bulghur wheat - about 2 tablespoons to 500g meat - to punctuate the smoothness of the meat and add a lovely nuttiness to the finished patties.
With fresh dill and thyme chopped through, and the sweetness of onions and garlic already cooked the final result was really good - perfect for a midweek supper.
By Eric on Jun 25, 2008
Jesus, that sounds fabulous! I’ve never considered adding beets to meatballs, but I’m betting it really works. Thanks for the idea!