Dinner Together: Gastrokid Meatballs
I've been looking so long for the right meatball recipe to try for Dinner Together. And I'd been looking forward to the new cookbook from the writers behind the blog Gastrokid, which, natch, is a bonding place for foodies attempting to raise their kids in their own image.
The cookbook, called "The Gastrokid Cookbook," I find both empowering and intimidating. It has recipes that appear approachable yet sophisticated, including said meatballs, which were easy but overflowing with that kid Kryptonite, herbs. On the other hand -- and I won't soon forget this -- it basically says one of the worst things you can do is to make your kid a quesadilla while you consider what the adults will eat.
OK, I've in fact done just that, though usually after offering what I was having to the child. (The whole point is that the kid with the quesadilla did not find my dinner more interesting; instead, he or she thought it downright inedible and an affront to nature.)
And I can bet I'm gonna do it again, because sometimes peace at the dinner table is just more important than everybody eating the same thing. IMHO.
Back to the meatballs....
They were even more delicate than the "Gastrokid" authors promised. They barely held together, and as I tried to coax them into the saucepan without breaking them, I thought I might have an epic dinner fail on my hands. Even tongs wouldn't work to turn the meatballs, so I resorted to using my (soon burned) fingers.
But in the end, the meatballs that fell apart enriched the tomato sauce beautifully, and those that held together were light and flavorful. We served them over wide noodles, which supported the sauce nicely. Unfortunately the kids were not big fans (their loss). It was, almost, a quesadilla night after all.
Meet The Meatballs
Makes 4 servings
1 cup cubed bread
1/4 cup milk
1 pound ground beef
1 overflowing cup chopped fresh herbs (use one or a combination of parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano
1 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour on a plate
1 29-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes (or other canned tomatoes, such as peeled plum
To make the meatballs: In a small bowl, mixed the cubed bread with the milk. In a large bowl, combine the bread-milk mixture with the beef, herbs, cheese, garlic, egg, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, mixing with your hands until everything is evenly distributed. Using your hands, form into 1 1/2-inch balls.
Heat a big saucepan or skillet with a few tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Lightly roll the balls in the flour, then carefully place them, one by one, in the hot pan. Brown on all sides, turning with tongs occasionally. To get a good crust, let meatballs sit for several minutes before attempting to turn them. Do this gently so they don't break apart.
Pour the tomatoes into a big bowl and squish them with your hands (do this carefully because the tomato juice tends to squirt out of the tomatoes as you squish them.) Pour the tomatoes over the meatballs and simmer over medium heat until the sauce has reduced a bit and the meatballs have cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
From "The Gastrokid Cookbook," by Hugh Garvey and Matthew Yeomans
Per serving: 467 calories, 36 grams protein, 24 grams fat, 9 grams saturated fat, 28 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 141 milligrams cholesterol, 741 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.
Photo by me
Note: An earlier version of this recipe left the bread out of the ingredients list. It's in there now. My apologies.
Comments
Um, quesadilla is a food group unto itself in my family ...
Posted by: Cheryl from Maryland Family | August 12, 2009 9:53 AM