Meatballs

[foodnfoto]

Once again, I hope to rely on my friends here at Chef Talk to help me with my research. I am collecting recipes and historical information about meatballs.
Tell me, what is your favorite meat component?, style?, ethnic origin?,
flavor profile?, method of cooking?
How often do you prepare and/or eat them?
What do you serve with them?
What kind did your Mom (or Dad) serve you?
Do your childhood associations influence your taste in meatballs today?
Thanks everyone!

[Mezzaluna]

Funny you should post this now. I've been hungry for my mom's sweet and sour meatballs, so I called her. She simmers them in sweet sour sauce of stock, tomato, brown sugar and a little lemon juice. I love dolmathes, but when I don't want to trouble with wrapping them, I use the meat to make meat balls, which I simmer in broth. Then I use some of the broth to make avgolemono sauce. Hits the spot.

[Isa]

My favourite meatball is a Japanese. It's made with ground chicken and is serve with a sake & soya sauce. It's really great. Just thinking about it makes me hungry, think I'll made some this weekend.

[Mezzaluna]

foodnfoto, I used beef today in my batch, which is simmering on the stove as we speak. For seasoning I used garlic, s&p, oregano, thyme and a little cinnamon. Since I'm making avgolemono sauce later, I separated 3 eggs and added the whites to the meat (1.25 lb. each ground sirloin and ground round), reserving the yolks for the sauce. I also mixed in some chopped onion and about 1/2 cup raw rice. They're simmering in a mixture of beef broth and water. If I were picky about the color of the sauce, I'd have used chicken stock, but I didn't really care about esthetics today. I'll use about 1.5 cups of the broth, 1/3 cup lemon juice and the three yolks for the sauce. If it won't thicken, I'll add some cornstarch. As usual, more than anyone wanted to know.

[foodnfoto]

They sound great Mezz; just the kind of information I need. Are these Greekstyle meatballs a staple from your childhood? How did your Mom make the sweet & sour ones?
Iza- will you share with us a basic description of how the Japanese chicken meatballs are made? They sound yummy.
I am currently experimenting with a recipe for southeast Asian pork balls in broth. Lemongrass, tamarind, cilantro, shallots.
I think they'll be good.

[Mezzaluna]

Yes, my mom made dolmathes- although she substituted the easily-available cabbage leaves for grape leaves. We ate plenty of Greek food, as she grew up in a Greek neighborhood, and we had a Greek neighbor when I was growing up. Re: the sweet/sour meatballs: I'll ask her. I think it was mostly broth with a little tomato sauce worked in, sweetened with dark brown sugar and 'soured' with lemon juice (usually- on occasion, vinegar). Those were less popular in our house than the Greek ones, so I don't remember the recipe. I'll look forward to Iza's recipe, too. It sounds wonderful.

[foodnfoto]

Mezz--
Do you use lamb, beef or both?
What seasonings do you use?

[lynne]

Our traditional meatballs have always included 1/3 beef, 1/3 pork, 1/3 veal, black pepper, romano, a little bit of bread crumbs, dried basil, a little milk and an egg. Mixed, made into balls -- about 1/3 cup mix per. Browned off, put in a simple homemade tomato sauce (tomato, basil, garlic, romano) and baked in the oven for a couple of hours(usually a couple of browned off links of REAL italian sausage are thrown in the pot). Chilled, defatted and reheated the next day. (Because Italian tomato dishes are always better the second day!) This dish has been our Christmas Eve dinner for as long as I can remember and you don't mess with TRADITION! (OK, one year we had homemade manicotti, but everyone wanted meatballs!) and when my sister flys in, she expects "B-sketti and meatballs!"

The way to my dad's heart while I was growing up was Swedish meatballs. Something you could make and bask in his glow all evening.

My current favourite are 1/2 turkey, 1/2 beef with steamed, well drained chopped spinach, crumbled feta, onion, black pepper, oregano, bread crumbs and an egg. Appetizer sized, they are one of my most requested appetizer dishes served with tzadziki. Wonderful in creamy pasta dishes. We almost always have a bag of them in the freezer for those emergency dinners or surprise guests.

[shroomgirl]

mmmmmmm
growing up we had Italian meatballs with Italian sausage, beef, garlic,oregano, basil, bread crumbs, egg....floured sauteed then covered in red sauce.

I make Russian meatballs with lamb, onion, dillweed and a pomagranite sauce!!!

The Greek one sound wonderful Lynne! Think I'll try those soon.

Several years ago I made a ground chicken with tarragon, morels, roasted pecan, orange zest meatball for a mushroom function, they got raves....add bread crumbs and an egg.
Top with a chicken, tarragon sauce.

Dolmas, we have vineyards in Mo. and I wonder what you have to do to a grape leaf to use it for cooking? Anyone know?