Spaghetti and Meatballs

I recently posted a delicious 3 ingredient Spaghetti Sauce that has received really good reviews from folks. I was asked if I could provide a meatball recipe to go along with it, and I thought, of course I can. Naturally I had to make it first, so I've been enjoying this dish for several days. Hope you like it.

One thing about meatballs, I don't like meatballs that are hard, or tough, or overcooked etc. Usually this comes about by rough handling when shaping, or frying or baking first before adding to a sauce. The secret to delicious melt in your mouth meatballs is to treat it gently and to cook the meatballs in the sauce, not pre-cooked or fried.

I hope you like this recipe. It's awfully good, and like I said, you can't beat the sauce. (Here's the recipe for the 3 ingredient  sauce as well as my slow-cooker recipe)

Ingredients and Method:
1 cup Breadcrumbs

1/3 cup milk

8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground pork

1 cup ground Parmesan Cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

2 eggs (beaten)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced, or pressed


Mix milk and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Set aside

Place beef and pork to a bowl and add cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic, nutmeg and beaten eggs.

Drain milk from breadcrumbs and add to meat mixture.

Mix all ingredients together gently by hand. Try not to compress or squeeze the meat mixture. You're trying
to just combine them thoroughly and yet keep a "looseness" to the meat.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes so it will be easier to shape into meatballs.

Shape into meatballs about the size of a golf ball using a gentle touch. Add directly to cooking sauce 30 minutes before the sauce is done. (If making slow cooker sauce, then add the meatballs one hour prior to
the end of the cooking cycle.)

I made this with my 3 ingredients spaghetti sauce, and dusted it with shaved Parmesan. It was delicious.

Enjoy!

Char Siu Country Style Ribs

One of the things I really enjoy is Asian style marinades. I've blogged 5 Spice Soy Baked Chicken Wings
and Char Siu Pork Tenderloin and Chinese 5 Spice Game Hen and even Maui Ribs. All have similar, but slightly different combinations of ingredients.

For the 4th of July, I wanted to make Country Style Pork Ribs and I wanted them Char Siu style and I finally hit upon a combination of ingredients for a marinade/basting sauce that I think is the best I've had and the best I've made. The ribs came out incredibly tender with an absolutely delicious aroma and taste from the marinade. You gotta try it. I think we got a winner here. This may very well be the marinade I use for all the recipes above I've already blogged. It's that good.

Adapted from Crepes of Wrath and my own recipes.

Ingredients and Method:
4 large bone-in or boneless country style pork ribs
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
1/4 honey to brush over the finished ribs

Combine all ingredients except honey in a baking dish until thoroughly mixed. Add pork ribs to marinade, cover with plastic, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 8 hours, but 24 hours is preferable. Rotate ribs about every 8 hours or so.

Grill over indirect heat (with a smoker box if available) for 1 1/2 hours, brushing occasionally with marinade. Check to ensure internal temperature has reached 170 degrees. Brush both sides with honey, let grill for 3 more minutes, and remove.  Let meat rest for 15 minutes before serving.

If you'd like to use the marinade as a sauce, pour into saucepan, with 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve ladled over meat and/or rice.

Sauerbraten German Pot Roast

So I came across this recipe. I've heard of Sauerbraten but have never made it nor tried it. What intrigued me about making it was marinating the cut of meat for 3 days, perhaps adapting it for the Pressure Cooker, and the addition of crushed ginger cookies to the marinade to thicken and make a gravy for the meat.

Will I make this again? You bet! The meat was deliciously tangy sour (hence the name Sauerbraten) and as tender and delicious as could be.

The gravy however, I guess I expected it to be more of a contributor than what it was so I "doctored" it a bit. I added a bit more sugar because it was still very sour, and I added some ground ginger to give it some "bite".  It accompanies the meat wonderfully since it's the marinade for the meat, it just needed a boost. Feel free to experiment with your own thoughts or preferences.

That being said, this was the most tender, delicious cut of roast I've had in years and years.

Adapted from:  Joelen's Culinary Adventures. 

 

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 cup Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 carrot chopped thinly
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 bay leaves
6 minced cloves
2 - 3 pound bottom round roast
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
15 gingersnaps, crushed
1 teaspoon ground ginger

All right, so here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna make a marinade, and marinate the roast for 3 days.  Yes, 3 days!   It'll be worth the hassle, believe me.

(Pressure Cooker note. The only difference in the recipe directions if you're NOT using a pressure cooker, is to bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 4 to 5 hours until fork tender)

In a saucepan combine both vinegars, water, salt, pepper,  carrots, onions, bay leaves, cloves and ground mustard. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, let cool.

Pat the roast dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add 1 tablespoon olive oil  to a medium frying pan and brown meat on each side until browned, approximately 10 minutes per side.

Remove from heat.

Pour marinade into non-reactive dish. Add roast to dish. If the roast is not covered with marinade simply plan on turning the roast once a day so both sides get equally marinated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 days.

When ready to cook/bake, remove roast, and pour all of marinade into pressure cooker (or baking dish). Cut any exposed fat from the roast. Add the roast, turn up heat, cover and bring up to 15 p.s.i. When the cooker begins to steam steadily, turn the heat down to low, and let cook at pressure for 60 minutes. (Or, as stated earlier, bake at 350 degrees for 4 - 5 hours). Let cool naturally.

Remove roast to cutting board and let rest.

Strain marinade mixture into bowl. Don't be afraid to mash solids through the mesh to give the gravy some "body".

Pour into saucepan, add sugar, ginger, and crushed ginger cookies. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and continue to stir and simmer, until gravy thickens.

Remove from heat and skim any visible fat from surface.

Slice roast against grain into approx. 1/4 inch slices, arrange on plate, and ladle gravy over. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!