I’m not a huge fan of the meatball. Nor is anyone else in my immediate family. But when I got an email from a reader asking for a post-Yom Tov, had way too much meat but it’s still Shabbos so meat needs to be on the menu meatball appetizer, I thought, ok, challenge accepted and I went to work testing and tasting.
Turns out, I kind of do like meatballs, but in order to get to that taste bud happy place I discovered a few tricks to turn a humdrum meat ball recipe into a spectacular one. First and foremost, there’s nothing worse than a bland meatball. The kind of meat you use, what you add and how you cook (and for how long) are key to getting the perfect mix of flavor, fat, seasoning and sauce.
You can, of course use either ground beef, lamb, turkey or chicken. Just remember the more fat in the meat you use the more tender the meatball will be. The less fat you use the tougher the meatballs will be if you overcook them.
A lot of the recipes I tried used a panade (a fancy name for a binder mixture). The binder is usually bread soaked in milk then mixed into the meat. Since mixing milk and meat is not an option for us, I use pareve almond or rice milk instead. The binder (adds moisture to the mixture and keeps it from shrinking as it cooks. Some people prefer to use eggs as their binder or just plain old breadcrumbs. I also discovered that that the less you mix up the meat and other ingredients the better the consistency of the cooked meatball. You can use a spoon or spatula to mix but I think just mixing everything up with your hands just until combined is the best way to go.
There is a real debate in the food world as to the best way to cook a meatball, simmer or roast. The easy answer to which method to us is what the end product will be. If the meatballs are going into a sandwich, freeze them to use later or served with a dipping sauce, roast them. If they are being served in a sauce them cook them right in the sauce
The following recipes are some all easy to throw together when time is short and the hunger level is high.
Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 (13¼ oz.) can pineapple chunks in juice
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 lb. ground beef or chicken
Instructions:
- Roll the beef into golf ball size balls. Place them on cookie sheet and set them aside.
- Pour pineapple chunks with juice into a saucepan. Stir green bell pepper, water chestnuts, brown sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and lemon juice through the pineapple chunks until sugar and cornstarch dissolve.
- Bring the mixture to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Place meatballs into a crock; pour pineapple mixture over meatballs.
- Cook on Medium for 3 hours.
- Serve over rice.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled
My files, source unknown.
Stuffed Meatballs
4 servings (2 meatballs each)
Ingredients:
- 1 to 1½ lbs. ground beef
- ½ to 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ chopped Portobello mushroom, chopped small.
- ½ chopped onions
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions:
- In a skillet sauté the mushrooms and onions until there is no liquid left. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onions, garlic, parsley, egg, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Don’t over mix.
- Divide into 8 balls. Flatten each ball slightly, and place a teaspoon of the mushroom mixture in the center. Fold the sides up around the mushroom mixture and press to close.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and fry meatballs until browned.
- Serve immediately.
Great on a sub or on top of spaghetti with sauce.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled
Modified from smittenkitchen.com
Meatball Soup
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 can (15 oz.) stewed tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 beaten egg
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- ½ teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoons oregano
- 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons pepper
- 6 cups beef broth
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 2 stalks celery, chopped, for garnish
- 1 avocado, chopped, for garnish
- 1 tomato, diced, for garnish
Instructions:
- In a skillet heat the oil. Sauté the onions and garlic (don’t clean the pan when done, just set aside). Cook the onion mixture for 5 minutes.
- In a blender combine the tomatoes and onion mixture. Process until smooth
- In a bowl combine the egg, ground beef, cumin, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper and rice. Mix to combine. (Tip: wet your hands to mix)
- Form the mixture into golf ball sized balls.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and then cook the meatballs in batches. They should be slightly golden and crusty on the outside. Set aside on a plate.
- In a stock pot combine the tomato mixture and beef stock. Heat to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Add the carrots and cabbage. Add the meatballs to the soup, cover and cook at a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and top with the diced avocado, celery and fresh tomato.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled
Submitted by Angie Macelroy Southfield MI
Thai Turkey Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1½ lbs. ground turkey
- 1 heaping Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (you can substitute ½ red bell pepper)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 egg
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ cup hot water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- In a mixing bowl combine the turkey, garlic, ginger, chili pepper, basil, egg, and pinch of salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
- Shape the mixture into 1½-inch balls.
- In a skillet heat the oil. Cook the meatballs, turning as they cook. They can burn so watch and turn them frequently. They should be done after about 10 to 15 minutes.
- To make the dipping sauce — in a bowl combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, ketchup, and ½ cup hot water. Whisk until smooth.
Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled
Submitted by Carla Santorer, Teaneck, NJ, modified from about.com
LAMB MEATBALL SUB
Yields 4 to 6 sub sandwiches.
Ingredients:
- 1 slice of bread
- ¼ cup almond or soy milk
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 to 6 hoagie rolls
Sauce:
- 2 cups pareve sour cream substitute
- 1 cucumber, peeled, grated, and excess water squeezed out
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions:
- In a bowl combine the bread and almond or soy milk. Let sit for 2 minutes then press the bread down and drain off the excess liquid.
- Add the ground lamb, garlic, rosemary, rosemary, parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
- While the meat is chilling make the sauce:
In a bowl combine the cucumber, pareve sour cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1⁄2 hour for the flavors to blend. - Preheat oven 350°F. Line a cookie sheet (with sides) with foil.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are sizzling and cooked throughout.
- Divide the meatballs between the 4 buns, top with sauce, and serve.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled.
My files, source unknown
© Eileen Goltz meatballs 14a
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.