Gochujang meatballs and Korean potato pancakes

I am a fan of meatballs. They are easy, they are cheap, and they make good leftovers. So I was excited when I came across a Korean style-meatball recipe, primarily meaning the recipe includes gochujang (Korean chili paste), which I had never had before. In the interest of minimizing shopping trips, I checked the co-op when I was there last for gochujang, which they had and I bought. United Noodle would have many more options! I did not read the label until after I made the meatballs, upon which I saw that there is wheat flour in this particular version. I ate some meatballs anyways, and so far am not having gluten intolerant reactions. (I looked up gochujang paste ingredients, which were mostly in Korean, and seem to often include barley, sometimes wheat. So. One could make their own gochujang, at least a modified version of it, if you want gluten allergen certainty.)

I thought the meatballs turned out great - they were more moist than my usual meatballs, which made me wonder if I often overcook them, or if this particular combo of an egg and half cup of almond flour really made the difference. The original recipe from Food52 also included a gochijang/apricot glaze that I did not make, and is probably delicious, because adding a little more sweet usually is! Instead I ate the meatballs with kimchi, which was really nice.

I decided to also try making korean potato pancakes, though I used my veggie julienner rather than a grater (because I only have a very tiny or extra large grater), and I did a combo of rutabega, potato, and a carrot instead of all potato. And added coconut flour and an egg. So. It's maybe more accurate to say korean-inspired potato (and more) pancake. I did add some green onion, and made a sauce with tamari and rice wine vinegar, which is the thing that distinguishes them from my latkes. They were delicious - I mean, you can't go wrong, ever really, with fried potato/root veggie pancake things. (The sauce was also good with the meatballs.)

Gochujang Meatballs, serves 2-4

• 2 green onions, very thinly sliced
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
  
• 1 pound ground beef
  
• ¹/₂ cup almond flour
  
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
  
• 2 tsp ground ginger
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• ¹/₂ teaspoon ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all of the ingredients well. Form into 1" balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes. I put mine under the broiler for the last few minutes to brown the tops. Serve with kimchi! (Or see original recipe linked above for apricot glaze if you want to eat more appetizer style.)

Gamjajeon-inspired Potato Pancakes, serves 2

• 1 medium red or yellow potato, shredded
  
• 1+ c shredded rutabega
• 1 shredded carrot
• 1/4 small onion, minced
• 1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
• 1 egg
• 1 T coconut flour 
• oil for frying (I used coconut oil)
  

Combine all ingredients. Mixture should be moistened, but still fairly dry. Heat oil in a skillet on med-high heat. Pile handful or large spoonful of veggie mix in pan and flatten. Fry 4-5 minutes on each side, until crisp and browned. Set aside and continue frying until all "batter" is used.

Make a dipping sauce of:

• 1 T tamari
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp honey or sweetener of choice
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp water

*I ate leftover meatballs with Okonomiyaki the next night (this time it was just cabbage, carrots and green onion - no nettles), with the sauce listed there and some mayo. Also very good. I also thought about using meatballs in egg foo young...maybe that is what will happen to the last few!

Cocktails and Meatballs

I am having some indulgence with myself tonight and made a fancy cocktail, titled the White Lady, which I think is super funny. I am a person socialized as white, or white-bodied, and I do identify as such, and also am socialized as a "lady" or woman, though I identify as queerly gendered. So. A toast to you, White Lady, of which I have some appreciation and trepidation both. The cocktail choice really came about after I looked at my liquor cabinet (aka, the ledge at the top of the basement stairs next to the cobweb duster) and saw gin and Cointreau, and then typed those 2 words into DuckDuckGo's search engine. Behold, White Lady Cocktail. Which is strong, as straight up cocktails tend to be, and quite tasty.

White Lady and I communed while "Czech Pork Meatballs" (from Mel Joulwan) cooked in the oven, alongside reheated squash and beet soup. (Because right now, it is all squash, beets, and carrots!) The meatballs are a really easy and simple caraway/mustard affair that was tasty with aforementioned sides and some sauerkraut. I did not have parsley, but that would make things more top notch. 

White Lady

1 1/2 ounces gin 

3/4 ounce Cointreau (or another orange-flavored liqueur, though that will tinge your white-ish cocktail) 

3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice 

lemon twist, for garnish

1. Add the gin, Cointreau, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Fill two-thirds with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until well-chilled, about 15 seconds.

2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

 

Meatballs

• 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

• 1/2 tablespoon salt

• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds

• 1 teaspoon ground paprika

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced (about 1/4 cup)

• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard

• 2 pounds ground pork

  Mix everything together with your hands and form into 1" meatballs. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes (or cook on the stovetop). Serve with kraut!
  

Wonton meatballs

I made Nom Nom Paleo's wonton meatballs in a double batch tonight. I made a similar dish some years ago in the style of sui mai dumplings, which was a similar recipe steamed in zucchini "cups." This time I just followed Michelle Tam's recipe and made meatballs. Delicious. I made a double batch b/c I bought a 1lb frozen shrimp package when it was on sale, and just froze some of it to make again later.

At the time of this meatball consumption, I am in the midst of an obsession with Christine and the Queens. This song is the current one on repeat. OMG. I am in love with her. Other videos showcase her moves, which inspire me to dance in the kitchen and get all swoon-ish at the same time.

Wonton Meatballs (by Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo)
¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
½ pound shrimp peeled and deveined
1 pound ground pork 
2 scallions finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro minced
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ teaspoon fish sauce
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1) Hydrate your dried mushrooms - mine take 30 minutes in warm water. 

2) Preheat the oven to 400°F, and squeeze the water out of the shiitake mushrooms. Cut off the hard stems, and finely mince them.

3) Finely chop the shrimp until you’ve got a chunky paste.

4) Place the shrimp in a large bowl and add the pork, mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, coconut aminos, salt, fish sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil.

5) Use your hands to squeeze and mix the meatball mixture until a sticky and tacky mass is formed.

6) Heat up a small frying pan over medium heat and add a little cooking fat. When the pan is hot, form a little patty and cook it in the pan. Taste it and see if the seasoning is right. Adjust with additional salt if needed. (Not cooking yet? You can store the meatball mixture in the fridge for up to 12 hours.)

7) Form the mixture into 1½-inch balls. Roll the mixture into round balls and arrange on a baking sheet. You should end up with about a dozen balls.

8) Bake the meatballs in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. I finished mine off under the broiler to get a good sear. 
This time I ate these with roasted broccoli and eggplant and some sriracha. I've also used them in noodle soup with tasty results.

Pork & Cranberry meatballs

I make meatballs pretty regularly, often from Mel Joulwan's Well Fed site which has a whole meatball madness link page (I think I've made her Czech meatballs, Cuban meatballs, Merguez meatballs, and maybe the Moroccan ones, though if I remember right I did not like them.) I've been on a pork meatball fest lately, and recently made a Bon Appetit Vietnamese inspired meatball, where I learned that I can cook meatballs entirely in the broiler, which makes them really crispy and delicious.

This recipe is based on what was originally ground turkey to make a Thanksgiving inspired meatball. It was delicious with pork and easy ingredients I had at home (lemons yes, oranges no; baking soda yes, cream of tartar no). I ended up reheating a bunch of left-overs to go along with these, and this meal was a total star this weekend: roasted squash, pickled beats, the last greens of my wilted garden, and a bunch of saurkraut. I ate about 3x the amount of kraut pictured in the photo because it was so good with every other thing on the plate. 

Pork & Cranberry Meatballs (makes 12)
1 pound ground pork
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 c dried cranberries
2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/4 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 T warm water (opt)
(Mel uses baking soda and cream of tarter to tenderize meatballs sans breadcrumbs. I never do and find them to still be delicious. This time I did do the baking soda, for whatever reason!)

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep a cake pan with foil or parchment if you like - these do get a little broiled on, but it scrubs off with a scouring pad.
2) Mix all ingredients except baking soda/water in a bowl by hand. Add baking soda/water mixture and combine.  Form meatballs. (Mel has us chill the meatballs prior to baking. Is it necessary? I don't think so.)
3) Bake for 20 minutes. I then put mine under the broiler for a few to get them nice and caramel-y. The exposed cranberries do burn a bit (the sugars!) so keep an eye on them if you do that.

Let cool a minute or two and serve! These were delicious with saurkraut and squash.

Fennel Meatball Zucchini Pasta

Travel lunch: zoodles, sauce, and meatballs!

The zucchini is taking over! I've been rotating zucchini, green beans, and cucumbers among the three meals of the day all week - they are prolifically abundant in my garden. Mostly I've been eating the very basic sauteed zucchini (with onions, or bacon, or plain), but I am also eating a fair amount of "zoodles." This recipe also utilizes some garden tomatoes (those are slower in my garden, so I used up some of last year's frozen ones) in the sauce. The fennel in the meatballs was nice with the fresh basil. I actually ate these meatballs with both pesto sauce, and this simple tomato-basil one. Both were delicious.

Fennel meatballs
1 lb beef or venison
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
freshly ground pepper
1 egg
1 T coconut flour

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix ingredients together and form into 1" balls. Place on a rimmed cookie sheet or cake pan in a single layer and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
3. Serve over zucchini noodles with pesto or tomato basil sauce.

Tomato-Basil Sauce
1/2 small onion, diced
1 T fat (lard, ghee, coconut oil)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt, more to taste
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
big handful fresh basil, chopped

1.  Heat fat in a heavy saucepan. Saute onions until translucent, then add tomatoes. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to cook down.
2. Add remaining sauce ingredients, and adjust seasonings to taste. Continue to simmer another 5-10 minutes until desired thickness. 

Berbere Meatballs

I was in a hurry the other morning to make a dinner for work (in addition to lunch, so I was making two meals to go), and decided to just throw together some meatballs. They turned out nice - I love berbere, so it was kind of a no-brainer. Berbere is that delicious Ethiopian spice blend that I used last month in a chicken dish called Doro Wat. It's typically a spicy blend of paprika or chili, cinnamon, cardomom, ginger, and fenugreek, plus a few others. My blend is on the milder side, so if you have a spicier Berbere, you may want to reduce the amount so as not to be too hot. I had some defrosted pork and venison - so I did a combo. But you could use all venison, lamb or beef too.

Berbere Meatballs
1/2 lb pork
1/2 lb venison/beef/lamb
1 t coconut flour
1 1/2 T berbere
1/2 t salt
1/4 c chopped parsley
pepper
1 egg

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, combine thoroughly with hands to get spices mixed evenly. Roll into approximately 1" balls (or a little bigger) and place on rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

I ate mine with greens (arugula in this case) and onions sauteed in coconut oil with turmeric and coriander. Later I had some of these meatballs with sauteed zucchini, onions, and beet greens with similar spices. These meatballs are very tasty left over or cold. Yum!

Meatballs and Cumin Roasted Carrots

This post is a double whammy from the Clothes Makes the Girl blog. I was intrigued about meatballs after making a meatball version of the Kubideh that I posted a couple of weeks ago. They turned out super good that way, served with fresh parsley, all covered in the lime butter. Yum. I could eat them again, but decided to be adventurous and try some other meatball recipes.

I decided on these Merguez meatballs - though she has several other varieties that are also on my "to make" list - because the spice combo sounded really delicious. And indeed when I put the spice mix together, the aroma was amazing with fennel, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. According to the blog, Merguez is a North African fresh sausage, typically made with lamb, or lamb and beef. I had 1 lb of lamb defrosted and 1/2 lb of venison, so I used that, along with an egg, fresh parsley, and some onion in lieu of the garlic.

This was my first time baking meatballs in the oven (cleaner and easier than pan searing them for sure) and they turned out great - still moist, and to my surprise, still seared seaming on the outside?! (is it the use of an egg in there that does that?) I think they look pretty good too, and the taste was spicy and mild at the same time. I just made a half batch of the spice mix and used the whole thing in my 1 1/2 lbs of meat, which maybe meant my meatballs were a bit more flavored than intended, but I thought it was great. I ate the meatballs with some lemony ghee drizzled on top, which was delish.

I had my meatballs with Cumin Roasted Carrots (just carrots, coconut oil, cumin, salt and pepper) and made double use of the 400 degree oven. They take just a few minutes longer than the meatballs, so put them in the oven first. I was not very uniform in my slicing, and it turns out I liked the thinner ones best. I had overflow from the baking sheet pictured here, and so put some more in a small cake pan. The cake pan is not insulated like my cookie sheet, and the carrots from the pan were my fave, super crispy and a little charred (some were entirely charred and not so good, so watch things closely). They were extra delicious with a little lemon juice splashed on top.

Thank you Clothes Makes the Girl for some more delicious recipes! (plus I just like her attitude - it's very ease-full)