Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

[WitchyOoman]

[img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img] I promise after everyone gets a good laugh, to change the topic title to reflect that it's a Meatball Recipes thread, okay? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]


Yes, folks, it's a thread to collect Meatball recipes! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

So pony up your fave meatball recipe(s).

Me soon come wid some of mine.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

NOTE: I tried something new to this recipe today. It's a good recipe, "as is", but it's a bit... Americanized. Not nearly spicy nuff for REAL Magyar (Hungarian) cuisine.

So, I added the same amount again of the spices: 2 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. dry mustard, 1/4 tsp. thyme, 1/4 tsp. celery seed, 1/8 tsp. pepper into the sauce as I was cooking it.

Once the sauce was done, it still needed a bit more salt, so I added some (didn't think to measure it, but I'm guessing another quarter teaspoon's worth).

THAT made the dish almost "just right" for Magyar cookery.

It still needs a bit of sour-ness... dunno what.

See what comes of making Magyar friends at my new church... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

If you're not used to Magyar/Hungarian cuisine, tyr the recipe as it shows up the the cookbook, first, and then, if you wish more pizzazz;/spiciness, try it "my" way. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


.
Meatballs Paprikash
(Irma Rombauer's "Joy of Cooking")


Ingredients:

meatballs -
2 c. soft bread crumbs
3 eggs
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/8 tsp. pepper
8 oz. each ground beef, pork, veal (or 2/3 beef or 1/3 venison)

2 (6 oz.) pkgs. long grain and wild rice

sauce -
1/4 c. flour
1 3/4 c. water
3/4 c. beef broth
1 tbsp. catsup
1 c. sour cream


Method:

1. Combine crumbs, eggs, milk, spices.

2. Add ground meats. Mix thoroughly and shape into small balls.

3. Place in 9x12 baking pan and bake 350 degrees 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

4. Cook rice.

5. Stir together flour, water, beef broth and catsup. Cook and stir until thick.

6. Stir in sour cream.

7. Mix 1/2 sauce with rice and pour into 13x9x2 pan. Top with meatballs and pour over all the remaining sauce.

8. Bake uncovered 350 degrees, 30-35 minutes.

~ Yield: 8 servings ~


* Since I watch my carbs closely, I don't use the rice. Instead, I make the meatballs, cook a smaller portion of reduced-carb pasta (preferably somall pasta shapes that will hold sauce - like small-size rotini... or small shells) than they suggest of rice, and use that, instead.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

For ALL my meatball recipes, I generally prefer to use ground 'meat loaf mix' meat consisting of equal parts of ground beef/ground veal/ground pork.

Sometimes, I will instead use ground venison (when I have it, since I hunt). Or I will add ground venison into ground beef -- usually going half-and-half, or else, two parts venison and one part beef.


You can vary the flavor & texture of all your meatball recipes by using, interchangeably:
dried crushed breadcrumbs
OR
fresh soft bread crumbs
OR
homemade breadcrumbs (toasted in a low oven so they're crispy outside but still soft inside)
OR
crushed cereal flakes (like corn flakes)
OR
Grape Nuts cereal
OR
crushed peanuts

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

My Own Italian Meatballs:

Per pound of ground meat mixture, 3/4 cup breadcrumbs (dried or fresh), 3/4 cup of milk or half-n-half or cream, one large egg, 1 - 2 tsps salt & same of black pepper (to taste), 3 TBSPs (yes, you read that right!) of dried mixed Italian seasoning (oregano, rosemary, basil), 1 - 2 crushed clove of garlic (to your taste), and 1/2 - 1 tsp of cayenne pepper and of chili pepper each (to your taste - you can even substitute paprika for any or all of this amount of 'red' pepper).

Mix all together thoroughly.

Let sit, covered, in refrigerator, for a few hours, if at all possible. It will make the meatballs all that much more tender!

Make round balls of the cold meat mixture that are about the size that will comfortably fit into the hollow of the palm of your hand. (not very tiny, not very large)

In pre-heated HOT olive oil, in a deep fry pan, brown well the meatballs.

At this point, you can either (1) finish cooking them in the fry pan OR (2) put them in a large pan into a pre-heated 350°F oven to bake for about 20-30 minutes until done (no longer pink inside when cut).

The former method is the old traditional method; the latter is good for large amonts, as in parties, company, or BBQs/picnics.

Serve immediately with hot spaghetti, marinara, or other kind of pasta sauce.

~ Yield: 4 servings, if served alone; up to twice that if served with spaghetti ~

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

Bink's family's Authentic Swedish Meatball Recipe:


1/2 half pound of ground beef
1/2 pound of ground pork

mix them together with 1/2 of a large, chopped onion.

add, salf and pepper and one tablespoon of cardamom (the secret ingredient)

heat up butter in a fry pan and roll the meatballs into very small rounds. fry them good.

put them in a bowl with paper towels to drain.

NO gravy, NO gravy, NO gravy.


.
Looking thru my files in my computer, sure I had saved her recipe from last August, I found this one for "Authentic Swedish Meatballs", and I think it's the one bink gave me a year ago... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Is it yours, bink??
It looks similar, very, very similar...


.
1/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 pound ground lamb (you can use all ground beef)
1/2 well minced large white onion
1 egg
1 TBSP cardamom, freshly pestled
salt & black pepper, to taste

Mix the meat with salt, pepper.
Sauté the onions a little and then add to the meat mixture.
Add one egg to meld the mix.
Add the cardamom.

In heavy fry pan - preferably, iron - melt butter (not margarine) in the pan whilst you take the meat mixture and roll it into very small balls (the smaller the better).

When butter is hot, put in a bunch of small balls and brown all over. When done, place in a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the "grease".

Use and abuse thereafter. Moi ... i eat em naked. My future ex-husband used to make mini cheeseburgers with small rounds of rye bread and a little cheese. Some people put hot sauce or ketchup on them. I have no problem with any of that ... but, i beg, beg, beg you do NOT put any kinda gravy on them.

[grandma2]

Re: Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

very nice Witchy wid all a dose mi nuh knoh if there is any other

mi nuh really have a favorite

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

Oh, I have plenty of other meatball recipes. I'll post some more soon.


Pssssst... what did you think of my topic title? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

Sith Dark Side Meatballs:
(a/k/a Darth Meatballs)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground meat
1/4 cup pre-cooked rice OR dried breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1 sweet green Bell pepper, diced ultrafine
1 large white (Spanish) onion, diced ultrafine
1 cup shredded cabbage (you can buy it in bags, pre-shredded, or use a food processor)
salt (to taste)
12 ounces tomato puree (canned, or make your own)
3 TBSPs dark molasses
1 TBSP honey (a darker honey, like a buckwheat honey, is the best for this recipe)
2 TBSPs Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBSP apple cider or red wine vinegar


Method:

1. Mix the first 7 ingredients thouroughly in a large bowl. Roll into medium-small balls (not too big).

2. In a deep fry pan (at least 2 to 2 1/3 inches deep), mix up the remaining 5 ingredients. Heat to slow boil, then turn down to simmer.

3. Add the RAW meatballs (DO NOT pre-fry to brown!) into the fry pan full of sauce, a few at a time. Bring back to oil, and let boil a few minutes.

3. Turn down to high simmer. Cover tightly - use aluminum foil if your fry pan hasn't got a good tightly-sealing lid to match it.

4. Simmer, stirring every 20 - 25 minutes to turn evenly, until done. About 35 - 45 minutes. (Done = when cutting into one shows no more pinkness)

~ Serves 6 - 8 ~


:
If you like sweet-n-sour/tart tastes, this recipe is for you!

[evesisland]

Re: Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

Spanish Meatballs/Albondigas

ground beef
garlic
chopped onion
pepper
rice
mint leaves
tomato
oil
water

Season your meat with garlic, salt and pepper. Coursly chop your mint leaves and mix them in your meatballs. Meanwhile you boil a pot of water. Put some oil in a skillet and some chopped onions. When the onions are cooked, add about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and sautee that. I usually spinkle a little garlic in that too. Then add that to the water, add your meatballs and throw in a little raw rice to the pot. My mom says you'll know your meatballs are cooked when the rice is cooked.

My grandmother used to make these for us when we were kids. They are called (Spanish/and I don't know if I'm spelling it correctly) "Albondigas"

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

Oooooohhhhhhh... great-sounding recipe, Laney! Thanks ! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


Laney, is this a soup? A stew? It's not just meat balls with gravy, is it? The recipe reads like it's either soup-like or stew-like in nature...


Nice "trick", that - timing the meatballs to the rice. Interesting... Have to try that... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Gotta LOVE those lovely brown balls; they're SO tasty...

Speaking of meatball soups... Her'es my recipe for

Easy Italian Wedding Soup

Make miniature meatballs (thumbnail-size- literally!) using my Italian Meatball recipe above.

Warning: This IS very labor-intensive. You can make the meatballs in batches ahead of time, and freeze them, and so long as you get ALL the air out of the bags you freeze them in, they freeze very well!

Cook chicken soup (or cheat - use canned). It's best if you either use fresh homemade OR if you add some bits of shredded or chunked leftover cooked chicken into canned broth.

Either way, into yourpot of boiling chicken soup, add some slived carrots, some celery, and spinach. (at ratio of about 12 - 16 oz spinach to 1 quart of soup)

Drop in your already-browned meatballs carefully (to avoid splatter & burns). Cook the meatballs in the boiling or high-simmering soup for about 45 minutes.

Serve right away. Or cool, and freeze in airtight containers (it keeps well).