Meatballs, anyone?
Put sausage, lamb and turkey to work
It still touches my heart. I’ve watched “The Sound of Music” almost every year since the movie first screened in 1965. The songs fill me with joy, especially “My Favorite Things,” flawlessly sung by Julie Andrews.
Playing the part of Maria, a young and perky novice nun, Andrews voices her love of “cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.”
I don’t argue with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s choices.
Crisp apple strudel is a true culinary work of art, the dough a challenge to prepare, and of course the flavor and texture are irresistible. And there’s no quarrel with the inclusion of schnitzel with noodles; ah, the meat, pounded, breaded, then fried until the exterior is delightfully browned, the wiggly noodles awash in sweet butter to coat. Mmmm.
I wonder how many listeners are tempted to itemize a few of their own favorite things. On this cold winter day, I’m longing for one of my favorite things. Sing it: meatballs with sauces on platters they’re steaming, lamb or with turkey, maybe sausage I’m dreaming.
Yes, and here are some of my favorite meatball recipes.
Easy sausage kebabs
Grilled kebabs made of sausage meat lend themselves to a casual kind of meal. The sausage, first formed into hardy meatballs, is thread onto skewers and patted to partially flatten into thick rounded patties. They can be served with a variety of tasty accompaniments. My favorites include store-bought hummus, pita bread, radishes and tzatziki.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
1cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced, unpeeled English (hothouse) cucumber
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
For serving: Hummus, pita bread cut into triangles, radishes
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat grill to medium-high and clean grates. Remove sausage from casings. In a bowl combine sausage meat and mix with clean hands. Form into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Thread onto bamboo skewers, two per skewer. Press them to form plump patties.
2. Prepare tzatziki: In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, oil, cucumber, juice and mint.
3. Grill kebabs: Place on grill. Cover and cook 4 to 5minutes. Turn with tongs or long-handled spatula and cook an additional 3to 4minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with tzatziki, hummus, pita bread and radishes.
Lamb meatballs with cucumber tzatziki
More than 10years ago, chef and restaurateur Ross Pangilinan shared with me his recipe for appetizer-style lamb meatballs and the cucumber sauce that accompanies them. At the time he was executive chef at Leatherby’s Café Rouge in Costa Mesa. Now he owns his own restaurants, including Terrace by Mix Mix, Populaire, and Verdant (Costa Mesa) and Remix (Long Beach).
Ginger, cumin, coriander and harissa (North African
chile paste) enhance the mixture of lamb and beef’s flavor and aroma. And the tzatziki, a yogurt-cucumber sauce spiked with mint, lemon juice, garlic and harissa, is cooling.
Yield: 6 to 8 portions
INGREDIENTS
1/4 to 1/2 English (hothouse) cucumber, peeled
Meatballs:
1 pound ground lamb
1 pound ground beef
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger 1tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander 1tablespoon harissa paste (or other chile paste); see cook’s notes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley 6 eggs
1 tablespoon coarse salt
For skewering: bamboo skewers
Tzatziki
1cup plain yogurt
1to 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste 1teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro 2tablespoons grated and strained cucumber 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1teaspoon harissa
Garnish: Sliced fresh chives, coarse salt such as fleur de sel, freshly ground black pepper, extra-virgin olive oil and pita chips
Cook’s notes: Harissa is a North African chile paste that is sold in Middle Eastern markets, some natural food stores and some supermarkets with large imported specialty food sections. It is often packaged in tubes you squeeze like toothpaste.
DIRECTIONS
1. Grate cucumber using the large holes on a box grater. Place in colander; sprinkle with a little salt and set aside to drain.
2. Place all meatball ingredients in large bowl of electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, thoroughly mix (starting on lowest speed). Cover and chill for 1 hour. If available use a 1-ounce ice-cream scoop to create portions. Form into 11/2-inch spheres using lightly-oiled hands.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a lightly oiled grill pan on medium-high heat. Place 3 to 4 meatballs on each bamboo skewer. Place in single layer on grill pan in batches. Grill mark the exterior on all sides and place on rimmed baking sheet; place in preheated oven for 4 to 8 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.
4. Meanwhile, prepare tzatziki. In medium bowl, place 2 tablespoons (packed) grated and strained cucumber. Add remaining tzatziki ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Smear tzatziki on individual serving plates or platter. Top with meatballs. Sprinkle on chives, coarse salt, pepper and a small drizzle of extravirgin olive oil. Add pita chips, placing them vertically between the meatballs.
Source: chef and restaurateur Ross Pangilinan
Big turkey meatballs with prosciutto and sausage
Ina Garten’s meatballs are a favorite to serve with spaghetti and marinara sauce. The addition of sausage to the ground turkey brings welcome flavor and texture, as does finely chopped prosciutto. She bakes them until they are browned on top and cooked through. The dish feeds eight, a casual company entrée that I accompany with a green salad and garlic bread, followed by a decadent dessert.
Yield: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
3cups (1-inch dice) cubes of rustic bread (I don’t remove the crust.)
2/3 cup whole milk or 2%
2 pounds ground turkey (85% to 92% lean) 1/2 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
4ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
1cup freshly grated aged Asiago cheese or Parmesan
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing the meatballs
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten 3 (24-ounce) jars marinara sauce 2pounds dried spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan (or Asiago) cheese, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until the bread is in medium crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, sausage, prosciutto, bread mixture, Asiago or Parmesan, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Lightly combine the ingredients with your hands. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the eggs and stir lightly with a fork to combine. With your hands, lightly roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake for 35to 40minutes, until the tops are brown and the centers are completely cooked.
4. Pour the marinara sauce in a large, low pot, add the meatballs and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the directions on the package. Drain and place the spaghetti in individual bowls, and top with 3 meatballs and lots of sauce. Serve with Parmesan and/or Asiago cheese on the side.