something for the carnivores

with party/holiday season upon us, last minute dishes to take to get-togethers or serve at home are always needed. this meatball dish is always well-liked and received, and couldn't be easier to throw together, as there are very few ingredients involved.

like most meatball dishes, it goes very well served with rice — if the sauce is reduced enough, it can be placed in a chafing dish and served with toothpicks as an appetizer.

whichever way you serve them, they're good ;) just remember, this is very sweet. if you don't like that kind of stuff, this one isn't for you!


sweet 'n sour meatballs, the easy way

ingredients:

meatballs:

454 g ground beef (1 lb)
3 eggs
1 c fresh breadcrumbs / 1/2 c - 1 c dry
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste
1/2 c finely chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 to 3 tbsp oil to brown meatballs

sauce:

1 can regular coke (not diet)* 355 mL
1/3 c water
1/2 c light brown sugar, packed
1 c ketchup
2 - 4 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar

optionally,

1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground ginger powder & cinnamon, if wanted
1 small can drained cut pineapple

*you can use sprite, 7-up or ginger ale instead.

method:

place onions, garlic, meat and seasonings in bowl.

add the eggs and mix well.

add the breadcrumbs and mix until blended.

with wet hands, make small meatballs and place on a plate.

over medium high heat, brown the meatballs in the oil. you may have to do 2 batches if your pan is small. i do it in a le creuset type 'marmite'. turn down the heat as necessary to medium. make sure the oil and pan is hot when you add the meatballs as putting them in a cold pan usually causes them to stick.

once browned all over, drain excess oil. if there are any blackened bits of onion & garlic, discard them.

add the coke to the meatballs.

add the brown sugar, lemon juice and ketchup.

mix well.

bring to boil, and then cover and lower heat to minimum. cook covered for 30 minutes.

after 30 minutes, place the lid slightly opened to let the steam escape and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

be careful as the sauce tends to splutter as it cooks; i keep the lid opened only slightly.

serve over rice or with noodles.

enjoy!

"jewish style" beef pot roast to end the year

i thought i'd end the year making a jewish style beef pot roast — true comfort food. having had this roast frozen and laying dormant for a little while now, i figured it was time.

so what makes this "jewish"? i guess it is the combination of sweet and sour ['essek'] that jews tend to have a preference for with several stewed meat dishes. this is a type of potted meat dish is actually centuries old. gedempte flaish, as it is called in yiddish (and probably german, too), is the general word for it but there are variations, many of them using ingredients such as apricots, sorrel leaves, or raisins and gingersnap type cookies [sauerbraten].

one should note that the cut of meat used for this dish is taken from the shoulder which is a tougher cut but fares well when slowly cooked in a sauce. any cut of meat which will stand up to long cooking can be used.

using kosher meats generally means that only the forequarters of the [kosher] animal are used; the other parts are usually sold to, or used in, the nonkosher market. these types of meats take well to slower cooking methods such as slow roasting atop the stove or in the oven.

this dish would also be considered as "haimische" food, or jewish homestyle comfort food. as the colder weather sets in during winter, i think my more carnivorous side awakens which stays dormant pretty much the rest of the year. i love this particular recipe.

so here it is, a good way to end the year — with a full stomach of a dish any jewish mother would be proud of!

jewish style pot roast

ingredients:

one 2 kg [~ 4 lb] beef shoulder roast

3 tbsp oil or chicken fat [shmaltz]
2 - 3 onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small green pepper, diced
1 large carrot, sliced in 1/4" pieces
1 large stalk celery, diced

2 tsp salt
12 peppercorns
3/4 tsp paprika [i use 1/2 regular, 1/4 hot paprika]
2 - 4 tbsp brown sugar
2 -4 laurel [bay] leaves

1 1/2 c. tomato juice or stock [beef/chicken]

method:

prepare the vegetables: slice the onions, mince the garlic, and dice the green pepper, carrot and celery. set this aside in a bowl or on a plate.

measure out the spices.

wash and dry the meat.

heat a heavy dutch oven style pot such as a le creuset without any oil over medium heat. when it is hot, add the meat and let the meat sear for a good 5 to 8 minutes.

turn the meat and sear it on all sides. this is to lock the juices in the piece of meat. you will notice that the muscle fibres will have shortened due to the searing and the piece of meat is now firmer and "fatter".

once this is done, take the pot off the heat and add the oil or shmaltz.

then add the onions and garlic.

add the rest of the vegetables.

add the spices.

cover the meat with the tomato sauce or stock.

put the pot back on medium heat and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium low. after the first half hour, it will look like this:

let this "roast" on the stove top for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. i leave the lid slightly ajar after the 1st half hour so the sauce will cook down and thicken. it if happens too quickly, lower the heat.

let this rest 20 minutes to 1/2 hr and then slice and serve with the sauce.

enjoy!

ha! looks like i'm not the only one with pot roast on my mind. look what i saw on yahoo food today. looks good.

can you believe one study says preferences for comfort foods differ between the genders and moreover that it comes from childhood? read about it here.

as not everyone knows how to carve their meat, which can be daunting and result in undesireable slices, here is some information: how to carve a beef roast [step by step], more carving tips here and here.