Seasonal Cooking with Dan Wagner
At the beginning of every school year, I like to start off with a simple question for my students, “What are your favorite foods?” As a culinary arts instructor, students are always eager to share with me a wide array of dishes they favor. But last year, there was one student whose love of meatballs became a conversation not just for the day, but for the entirety of the semester.
At times I felt like I was talking to Bubba from the movie “Forest Gump.” “Chef, we can make stuffed meatballs, lamb meatballs, turkey meatballs, Polish meatballs, Swedish meatballs, meatballs with a mint sauce. We can bake, boil, sauté and fry them. We can even place meatballs in soup.” It went on and on. His enthusiasm for meatballs inspired me to share the diversity of this international food.
For most of us, when we think of a meatball, Italian cuisine is the first to come to mind. This type of meatball is made with quality ground beef or veal, a touch of garlic, fresh herbs, and breadcrumbs. It is traditionally covered in a marina sauce and topped off on a bed of pasta. However, this rounded, ground or minced meat product has an expansive history that can be traced back to 221 B.C. in the Chinese Qin Dynasty. The meatball has been found in the earliest Roman and Arabic cookbooks. It is a food that every culture shares with their own interpretation.
A favorite of mine are keftedes – a small Greek meatball made with lamb or ground beef. When making them, I like to mix equal parts ground beef and lamb bought from local Greene County farms. From there, add minced red onion, fresh parsley, a touch of mint and oregano. If you like a bit of kick, add a pinch of cumin and a small hint of minced garlic. Keftedes are best cooked stovetop in a sauté pan for a crispy texture. These meatballs can be placed on top of a salad or served in pita bread with a tzatziki sauce (mix Greek yogurt, cucumbers and fresh garlic).
A healthier alternative to the beef meatball is the turkey meatball. Although healthy, this meatball does not lack flavor. Mix fresh ground turkey, minced onion, parsley, garlic and eggs with some breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Complete the dish by placing the meatball on sage stuffing finished off with a light gravy. Ground turkey can be found at your local market year-round, making this dish perfect for every season.
Before you get cooking, I do have a few personal tips to share on what makes a great meatball. First, stick to fresh ground meat that is 90 percent lean. Next, sauté onions until translucent and add garlic. Then add dry Italian seasoning and breadcrumbs into the sauté pan. In a separate pot, have beef broth on medium heat (just enough to moisten the mixture in the sauté pan). Pour the beef broth into the sauté pan to make a soft, pasty mixture. Add this to the meat with chopped parsley, mix thoroughly and season. You are now ready to bake. The broth, herbs, breadcrumbs and beef come together to create a moist, flavorful meatball. Enjoy!
Homestyle turkey meatballs with sage
Yields: 8 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup unseasoned dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chicken or turkey broth
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 extra large egg
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
1. Combine the bread crumbs milk and broth into a bowl.
2. Add Parmesan cheese, egg, minced garlic, sage, parsley and salt and pepper. Mix ingredients together.
3. Add turkey into bowl and incorporate mixture thoroughly. Take 2 tablespoons of meat and roll into balls and place on sheet pan. Bake in oven at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Check internal temperature (165F).
4. Serve with stuffing and cranberries.
Keftedes
Yield: 30 meatballs
Ingredients
Olive oil, as needed
1 medium yellow onion, finely minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced into a paste
1 slice of bread, cubed
1/4 cup milk
1 pound ground meat
1/2 pound ground lamb or pork
2 eggs
1/4 cup minced mint leaves
1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
3 lemons, zested and juiced
Flour as needed
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
Directions
1. Take a large sauté pan and heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onions, garlic and cook on medium heat till translucent.
2. Soak bread cubes in milk. Remove excess milk from cubes.
3. Place meat in bowl and add 1 egg, sautéed onion mixture, bread, mint, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, salt and pepper and incorporate to meat mixture.
4. Form into meatballs around a tablespoon, round and then dredge in flour.
5. Place balls into a sauté pan and cook till golden brown.
6. Remove grease from pan. Add small amount of chicken stock, lemon juice and whisked egg yolk into pan. Add meatballs and place pan on low heat for an additional few minutes.