Meatballs!

[HeidiE]

Do you have a wonderful recipe for meatballs?
if so would you share?

I am having some friends over for dinner on Saturday and I think I make a decent meatball but not a fantastic one!

usually I do the following

half ground round or chuck mixed with half fresh ground pork
then with out reason I just start dumping stuff in
dried herbs like oregano, basil and thyme
fresh chopped Italian parsley
some wine or pureed tomatoes
egg
crushed red pepper
lc bread crumbs or broken brown rice (or even just skip starch)
fresh grated parm
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
a shot of worchestershire
I have heard folks tell me heavy cream or even a banana is good

if you have some secrets you would like to share I would love to hear them!!!

I am so excited about this dinner ...because ..we are going to gather to talk about our plans for a month long trip to SE Asia!!!! can you believe it????

would you like to help me put this together?

also tell me how you actually cook them I have always just put them under the broiler until they are brown and then simmered them in the sauce for a while to finish the cooking process....

I dont eat spaghetti anymore but plan on serving it of course since my friends adore spaghetti and meatballs ..that with a huge salad ....and home made bomb bread (another thing I pass on but love to make!) ...what else should I serve ?

I want to make a low carb tiramisu for dessert I think ....some fruits and cheese maybe?

help me figure out this feast and I will be so grateful !!!

[sallyseachange]

Re: Meatballs!

Here they make meatballs with two kinds of minced meat (usually beef and pork but you can use ground chicken too) mixed with egg, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs (I use some ground almonds instead, but not too much as they can give a slightly bitter taste). Some people grate a little lemon peel in to the mixture too. Oh... and of course salt and pepper.

When the meatballs are rolled they are usually cooked either red or white:

Red: sautè meatballs in extra virgin olive oil to brown. Toss in a couple of garlic cloves at the last min. Then add peeled, de-seeded chopped tomatoes, or tomato chunks from a can. Cook until done... depends on size of meatballs; maybe forty mins or so.

White: sautè meatballs in extra virgin olive oil to brown. Toss in a couple of garlic cloves at the last min. Add a good glass of wine and a good squeeze of lemon juice and evaporate the alcohol for a few mins. Cover and cook until done. Then uncover and cook until sauce is very reduced (almost only the flavoured oil left).

If you add mixed mushrooms this is good too.

I know those are very simple versions of meatballs...but here in Italy people tend to keep things simple.

I adore meatballs! Now I'm hungry!!!!

[Tracie515]

Re: Meatballs!

I am alwayes hungry when heidi is around. HAHA

[HeidiE]

Re: Meatballs!

Here they make meatballs with two kinds of minced meat (usually beef and pork but you can use ground chicken too) mixed with egg, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs (I use some ground almonds instead, but not too much as they can give a slightly bitter taste). Some people grate a little lemon peel in to the mixture too. Oh... and of course salt and pepper.

When the meatballs are rolled they are usually cooked either red or white:

Red: sautè meatballs in extra virgin olive oil to brown. Toss in a couple of garlic cloves at the last min. Then add peeled, de-seeded chopped tomatoes, or tomato chunks from a can. Cook until done... depends on size of meatballs; maybe forty mins or so.

White: sautè meatballs in extra virgin olive oil to brown. Toss in a couple of garlic cloves at the last min. Add a good glass of wine and a good squeeze of lemon juice and evaporate the alcohol for a few mins. Cover and cook until done. Then uncover and cook until sauce is very reduced (almost only the flavoured oil left).

If you add mixed mushrooms this is good too.

I know those are very simple versions of meatballs...but here in Italy people tend to keep things simple.

I adore meatballs! Now I'm hungry!!!!

I love the lemon rind idea it is so going in them!!!! simple is good and I also am going to take what you said about the red and white ones ..I am doing both!!! what an awesome idea!!!

I wonder if I pounded some dried porcini mushrooms and put them in the meatballs how that would be?

[sallyseachange]

Re: Meatballs!

You can never go wrong with porcini mushrooms!!!!!!

[HeidiE]

Re: Meatballs!

You can never go wrong with porcini mushrooms!!!!!!

too much rain to go and hunt them this year all my best areas have been flooded so I am using dried ...but they are wonderful anyway!!!

[not2late]

Re: Meatballs!

I make Dim Sum-flavored meatballs.

8 oz ground pork
8 oz ground meat (chicken or shrimp)*
1 egg white
2 tablespoons finely minced ginger root
1 tablespoon finely minced waterchestnuts or jicama
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 green onion/scallion finely minced
2 teaspoons rice wine or dry Sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

* Not necessary but it adds additional flavor. If you omit the other meat, use 16 oz ground pork.

Mix everything together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 2 hours in order to let the flavors permeate the meat.

Form into meatballs. Pan fry in oil. Serve it with dipping sauces. Soy sauce mixed with chopped ginger is good. But I was also served a pesto-like sauce made from green onion, garlic, gingerroot, sesame oil and peanut oil: it was absolutely delicious not only with the meatballs but also with things like steammed fish and poached chicken.

I like to make a double batch and fry it. Then I freeze the cooked meatballs for use in a wonton-less soup (ginger-infused chicken or pork broth, the meatballs, some finely shredded green veggie like Chinese cabbage/Bok choy/spinach, a sliced shiitake mushroom or straw mushrooms, etc.) or I add them to a stir fry.

[not2late]

Re: Meatballs!

Oh yeah, you could omit the pork entirely and use chicken instead. Or if you have a firm fish like cod, you can use a combo of cod and shrimp (grind the fishes in a food processor).

[HeidiE]

Re: Meatballs!

yummm Megs thanks!!!! I had dim sum this weekend it was fantastic..I even loved the tripe go figure!!!!

[sadie147]

Re: Meatballs!

yummm Megs thanks!!!! I had dim sum this weekend it was fantastic..I even loved the tripe go figure!!!!

I feel the same about dim sum steamed tripe as you do about flax

[not2late]

Re: Meatballs!

IF you steam the dim sum meatballs or if you do a shu mai out of them (put the raw meatball mix into a square of lightly steammed Swiss Chard, then steam until the meat is cooked), it wil be more dim summy.

[Lisa M]

Re: Meatballs!

One question....what time is dinner?????

I love meatballs! I've never heard of adding lemon peel...sounds like a great flavor to try. I make meatball soup. So if you have left over meatballs, not likely but just in case, you can put your cooked meat balls into a pot of beef broth with celery, mushrooms, green onions, onions, and a big dollop of salsa. Oh...I'm hungry already.

Hope you have an awesome time, Heidi!

[HeidiE]

Re: Meatballs!

ok FYI

1 tsp of fresh grated lemon rind in my usual meatball recipe if you can call my making meatballs an actual recipe that is!!!!

fking RULES!!!!! thank you so much Sally!!!!! and all of you!!! this is the single best batch of meatballs I have ever made ....

the sauce is to die for the meatballs are perfect ...I am so happy right now!!!!

want to know all the stuff I tossed in?

[higgies]

Re: Meatballs!

aw darn...I was hoping this thread was about the movie Meatballs...

They sound awesome!

[Lisa M]

Re: Meatballs!

Yes, Heidi...people who are hungry right now want to know what you put in to your meatballs. Okay, so I'm one of those people....lol..


LOL...Higgies...I think that movie was rereleased. I remember seeing it in theaters. Oh, there goes my age! Ha!