Grandma's Meatballs - Only Better!

A while back, my friend Anneli (@Delicieux_fr on Twitter) and I wrote guest posts for each other’s blog. The subject was stuffed peppers and we had so much fun that we agreed to do it again. Since I had suggested the ingredient the first time, it was Anneli's turn to come up with the theme. She sent me a list (there's always a list, isn't there?) and one in particular seemed perfect. Balls! OK people, get your minds out of the gutter, we’re talking food here.

She explained that since there are so many foods that are served in a round form, we would have a broad list to choose from. You may think I've picked the absolute most obvious kind of food ball -- the meatball -- and I'd have to say that you're probably right, but let me explain.

My grandparents came to the United States from Calabria, Italy in the early 1920s. Like hundreds of thousands of other immigrants, they brought with them a culture of food that was specific to not only their country, but their local region. Some of the best memories of my childhood are of Sunday afternoon dinners at my grandparent’s house where spaghetti and meatballs were front and center.  The recipe my grandmother used was simple, a good handful of grated cheese lightly and delicately mixed into each pound of ground meat.  This works beautifully if your sauce is complex and has been simmering with bones and sausages all day, the way hers was.  The recipe that Cynthia and I use today is based on what my grandmother brought from Calabria, but our sauce is a simple marinara made with tomatoes picked at the height of summer from our garden, roasted with garlic and olive oil then frozen or canned.  So, for me, there was almost no choice but to write about these meatballs! For a more detailed description of how we roast our tomatoes, click here.

You might ask, what's so special about meatballs? Anyone can make them, right? Well, sort of, or at least some version of them. The fact is, I've had lots of bad meatballs over the years. Done right, they can be flavorful and tender (yes, I said tender). Done badly, they are often tasteless and rock hard. Ick! The trick to tender balls is.....drumroll please.....simmering sauce.  When the balls hit the sauce, it must have already been brought up to a boil and then back down to a nice simmer.  Bringing it up to a boil first insures the entire pot has been heated thoroughly.  If your sauce is boiling or cold, you will have tough balls.  No one likes tough balls.  Well, OK, our dogs will eat them, but then they've not turned their noses up to anything from the kitchen yet (or from the yard for that matter). Here’s how you too, can have tender balls.

Ingredients (makes 12 meatballs)

• ·         1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ·         1shallot, preferably the long french variety, minced
• ·         1 tbsp fresh minced rosemary or 1 tsp dry crumbled
• ·         1/4 cup port wine 
• ·         6-8 dashes worcestershire sauce
• ·         2 tsp soy sauce
• ·         2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped fine
• ·         2 eggs (optional)
• ·         1/4-1/2 cup freshly grated cheese - parmigiano reggiano, locatelli romano or grana padan
• ·         1/2 cup FRESH bread crumbs*
• ·         2-4 tbsp milk or cream
• ·         1 pound ground meat (1/4 veal,1/4  pork,1/2  beef – this blend adds flavor and texture)
• ·         salt/pepper to taste

 Preparation

• ·In a small skillet, on medium high heat, saute the shallot in EVOO until a little browning begins at the edges.  Add rosemary, wait 30 seconds, then add the port.  Allow to bubble until reduced by at least half.  Set aside to coo

•  In a small bowl, combine fresh breadcrumbs with milk or cream.  If your bread is very fresh, you'll need less milk - you want a nice moist crumb, but not wet, otherwise you'll make paste.  Not tasty.  Let sit for 5 minutes or so and fluff it right before you use it. 

•  Place ground meat in a large bowl, hit with 6-8 dashes Worcestershire.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, flip it over.  Sprinkle soy over, then parsley, eggs (if using), cheese, shallot mixture and breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly but gently, do not shmush.  When it's mixed to your satisfaction - if it's too wet add a little more cheese and if it's too dry add a little milk or tomato sauce - pinch off a little bit, form it into a mini pattie and saute.  Let it cool a bit and taste.  Adjust seasoning if needed and please don't skip this step.  

• You could, at this point, form the meatballs into a meatloaf, or patties for meatloaf burgers.  It’s also tasty dropped into stock for Italian wedding soup. Mix it with rice and stuff some cabbage leaves or peppers.  I think you get where I'm going with this - it's a very versatile mixture.

• Form into balls.  I use a small ice cream scoop that holds a tablespoon, and scoop twice, loosely. You want to form a nice ball, but again, don't shmush.  Light but firm pressure. 

• At this point, you have two options, to fry or not to fry.   If you're feeling lazy, just drop the balls into SIMMERING sauce.  If you want a little more umami going in the finished product, saute them until golden brown and delicious on all sides. 

 

• This can be tedious and messy, and although I like a brown ball, I think the un-browned balls are a wee bit tender-er and I don't miss the extra bit of meatiness.  In fact, when it's a simple marinara, I think I prefer it without the extra step.

• Once the balls are in the sauce, simmer for at least 1/2 an hour. 

 

• When they’re done, they should be tender enough to cut with almost no downward pressure by a fork and should look something like this…..

 
*A note on fresh breadcrumbs: day old bread works best, and I use my spice mill to pulverize it.  Added bonus, it cleans the mill and may pick up a little interesting spice in the process.  Should your bread be too fresh, toast it before blitzing.  Need to be gluten free?  Sub in some crushed Rice Krispies, Gluten Free or cooked rice that you've taken a knife to, but do not use the milk or cream, just straight in.

Buon Appetito!

You can see Anneli’s guest post about balls on my blog site, A Reluctant Foodie by clicking here!

 Originally posted on January 4, 2013 at http://www.delicieux.eu/?p=1374 as a guest post.

Authentic Unbeatable Swedish Meatballs!

Think Ikea, But 100 Times Better

A Guest Post by Anneli from Delicieux

I am delighted to be back here on A Reluctant Foodie doing another guest post for Al. Our last challenge (Stuffed Peppers) was such fun that we decided to do it again and this time I suggested 'Balls"!

'Balls' was a fun choice as it gives such a large scope for experimenting - meatballs, fish balls, rice balls, chocolate balls, ice cream balls...the possibilities are endless. Not to mention the childishness of repeatedly writing 'balls'!! (and yes, I'm 36, not 3!)

In fact, I had no trouble at all deciding which 'balls' I was going to make, it was inevitable. I am half Swedish and I was brought up in a house where certain Swedish foods were regulars at our table. I was aware of Ikea and their meatballs before the rest of the world began their love affair with them.

My Mormor (Grandma) used to make them fresh and serve them with dollops of sweet lingon berry sauce, boiled potatoes and delicious creamy gravy. I remember how she would break up my potatoes for me and then pour over the sauce and mix it in....it was heavenly.

Even Ikea's processed meatballs are pretty darn good. I don't think I have ever met anyone who doesn't know of them and in fact, love them! Doesn't everyone who shops at Ikea stop for a plate of their Swedish meatballs? They make the whole nightmare experience so much more acceptable, if even just for a few minutes. My kids gobble them up as though they were chocolate not meat. My homemade meatballs really do taste like Ikea meatballs, just much better!

Swedish meatballs are superior to all other meatballs in my opinion. They have a lighter texture...not too dense or crumbly. They are simply seasoned so that the quality of the meat remains the main flavor. And to top it all off, they are called 'kottbullar' (pronounced "shurt bullar') *she childishly giggles again*!

The key to these balls is two fold. Firstly, the meat is a mixture of  70% beef and 30% pork - good quality mince. I got mine from the local butcher, no scrimping. (My Mormor would also add some chicken liver for a really luxurious meatball. Secondly, to achieve the lightness, quite a lot of breadcrumbs soaked in milk and cream are added to the meat before shaping into balls. This makes the mince quite wet and loose in texture. It might seem a bit strange butstick with it, the end result is unlike the usual stodgy balls you may be used to .

My daughter was 4 years old on December 23rd and I decided to make my meatballs for her birthday party. Definitely something that kids enjoy and adults alike. I decided to serve them as a little nibble to pass around during the festivities with some dips. My recipe makes 40+ meatballs so plenty for everyone or enough to make a substantial meal for the family to serve with sides.

These balls are seriously good, I kid you not.....Here's how to make them:

Swedish Meatballs - Makes around 40 balls

Ingredients

• 700 g beef mince
• 300 g pork mince
• 200 ml milk
• 100 ml double cream
• 150 g fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• 150 g grated onion
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

• First of all, you soak your breadcrumbs in the milk and cream and leave for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add to the two types of mince, the salt, pepper, and sugar and give it all a good mix.
• Then stir in the onion and egg.

• Next you need to add the breadcrumbs and milk. Do this a little at a time, mixing in as you go. You may find you do not want to add all the milky mix but do try to add as much as you can. It will make the mince quite wet but not sloppy, much wetter than perhaps you would when making meatballs but that's what makes these so special.

• Next. to make the balls, wet your hands with a little cold water which will help the meat not stick to much. But if you want to get a nice uniform sized meatball, you could pipe the meat into little portions and then roll. It really does work and you will find yourself with much more even little balls. You want them to be quite small...not quite as big as a golf ball.

• Then melt a good knob of butter and a little of the olive oil in a pan and start to fry your meatballs. Do them in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, adding a little more butter and oil each time. Shake the pan around every so often to allow the balls to bump around and keep their roundness rather than be flat on one side. They take about 10 minutes to cook. Remove and keep warm until you have all your balls done.

• I made my meatballs in the morning and then just reheated them in the oven for 15 minutes at 180C just before serving. As I said, you can serve them in many ways. As a nibble with some dips - I used BBQ, Ketchup and a spicy Spanish sauce. Or along side chips or mashed potatoes with a creamy gravy and Lingon if you can get it. You could also add them to a pasta sauce. Anything you like really - they are delicious and versatile. Any way you have them, they will be gobbled up in minutes.....no one can resist the power of the Swedish meatball!

I just wanted to say thanks again to Al for having me come and guest post! Always a pleasure and hopefully it's becoming a regular thing! Please come over to www.delicieux.eu and check out Al's guest post also featuring some amazing balls!!

Biog: I am a Private Chef living in South West France. I am a 36 year old mother of two, living the rural dream. I love to cook all food and am inspired by fresh produce and the cuisine here in France. From rustic traditional dishes to vegetarian fine dining, I try to cook it all and share my journey with you. Stop by and check it out!