All posts in category Carne Connoisseurs

recipes for the meat-eating sort

Chili (with ostrich)

A while back we posted a piece about ostrich meat, and in case you are still hesitant to try it, here’s another recipe incorporating this delicious “red” poultry. Of course, if you don’t have ostrich meat readily available to you, beef would work just as well. Usually chili is a bit too heavy for me, and that is why I enjoy making it with ground ostrich, instead. The texture and taste remain, but there’s certainly a lighter quality about using ostrich. I am also not a huge fan of large quantities of beans in my chili, but that’s just me. If you prefer, you can certainly add more quantity, and variety, of beans to your chili. The heat, or spiciness, is also up to you. I suppose my favorite aspect of chili is that it is one of the few meals which tastes better as left-overs than the day I originally made it. And as a busy mother of two, that’s always a good thing!

2 Tbl. olive oil
1 md. onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 lb. ground ostrich, or ground beef
1/4 c. chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
1 28-oz. can tomatoes in juice (I prefer fire roasted ground tomatoes)
3 c. chicken stock
1-2 c. water, you may want to add more or less while cooking

♦ 1-2 15-oz. kidney beans (black-eyed peas or lentil beans work nicely too)

chopped cilantro & Greek yogurt for garnish

Add oil to a large, heavy pot on medium heat. (If you are planning on using beef, add the meat first and begin to brown prior to adding the onion.) Add onions, garlic, and optionally, jalapeño; allow to cook until onions begin to soften. Add oregano and cumin. Stir in chili powder, salt, and cinnamon, if you choose. Add tomatoes, stock, bay leaves and water. (You need to add enough water to allow the chili to stew on the stove top without becoming too “concentrated.” If you check every 30 minutes, or so, you should be able to see whether or not more water is needed.)

Bring the chili to a low boil, then turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting. Allow the chili to slowly bubble (cook), uncovered, for 3 hours. If you don’t have this much time to cook your chili, it is possible to reduce the cooking time to about an hour, however, I will warn you that the flavors really don’t come together in that short amount of time. About 10 minutes prior to the end of cooking, add your ostrich meat. Ostrich cooks extremely quickly, and if you overcook it, the meat becomes too dry and chewy. Remove and discard bay leaves. Optionally you can remove the whole cloves of garlic, but thoroughly enjoy eating them in the chili.

Serve with chopped cilantro and a dollop of Greek yogurt. This dish also pairs nicely with some warm, crusty bread.

♦ If you are using pre-cooked beans, make sure to rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the chili. Alternatively, you could use dried beans. Just be sure to soak them in a few inches of water for 3-4 hours prior to cooking.

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by Two Dancing Buckeyes on April 19, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Carne Connoisseurs, Omnivoracious, Pasta Dishes, Soups and Stews
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Posted by Two Dancing Buckeyes on April 19, 2011

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TDB Homemade: Chicken Stock

Making your own stock is a good way to make the most out of your food.  And it’s great as a base and flavor enhancer for things like soups, sauces, and rice dishes.  It is not particularly complicated or difficult to do.  It requires time, but very little actual work – just a little forethought and planning, and you can have a constant supply of homemade stock at your fingertips.

A stock can be made from a variety of things leftover from your normal cooking — chicken, vegetables, lamb, lobster, and fish, to name a few.  The kind of stock that is called for most commonly in recipes is chicken stock, so that is what is being explained below in six easy steps.  Keep in mind that the process can easily be applied to make any kind of stock you want.

CHICKEN STOCK

Save it! Start by saving the bones from your chicken dishes.  Some purists or restauranteurs suggest that a good stock should be made from raw meat and bones purchased solely for this use, but I just use the scraps from dinner with great results.  If you normally eat boneless chicken breasts, consider buying the bone-in split breasts or whole roasting chickens instead.

Unless you have a large family to feed, it’s unlikely that you will accumulate enough bones in one meal to make the stock, so I suggest keeping a gallon-sized zippered storage bag in the freezer (or some other suitable storage container), into which you can toss the bones and any leftover meat that never makes it onto a plate.  Fatty skins can be discarded, especially ones that have been grilled, crusted or coated.  The unused parts of some vegetables can also go in this bag.  Onions, carrots, and celery (also known as the Mirepoix in French cuisine) do a great job at adding flavor to stocks, so I save my unused peels and trimmings from those, too.

Cook it! Once your storage container is full (with about the equivalent of two entire chicken carcasses), you can make your stock.  Place all your reserved trimmings in a large pot (at least 6 quarts).  Cover the contents with just enough water that everything is completely immersed, about 4-5 quarts.  If you have room in your refrigerator, this step can be done 8-12 hours ahead of time (or overnight), which will reduce your total cooking time by about an hour.  Place your pot on the stove and slowly bring the water to just under a boil.  You can add a few peppercorns, a couple bay leaves, or other dried herbs, if you like (such as thyme or rosemary) for flavor.  You do not need to add salt.  As it heats up, a white foam may form on the surface.  This comes from fat and impurities, so scoop it off carefully with a spoon and discard.  Once it is steaming, with just a few small bubbles breaking the surface, and the foam seems to have subsided, cover the pot, turn the heat to the lowest setting and let it cook for 3-4 hours.  You don’t want it to come to a full boil, or even a heavy simmer, because more impurities will be released, which will cloud and pollute your stock.  Check the pot on occasion — add more water, if needed, to keep the contents covered.  Your house will begin to smell divine!

Strain it! Turn off the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes.  This allows it to cool just slightly so that you won’t burn yourself terribly.  Using tongs, or a large slotted spoon (I have a large wire scoop meant for fishing items from a fryer that works well), remove all the large bones and vegetable pieces and discard them.  Don’t worry about squeezing out every drop of liquid because that, again, can add unwanted impurities to the stock.  Next, carefully pour the remaining contents of the pot through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl (you may need more than one bowl).  A second pass through some cheese cloth, a coffee filter, or the sieve again is a good idea, to remove the small particles and clarify your stock as much as possible before cooling.

Cool it! Next is the trickiest part of the process — cooling the stock quickly enough to avoid bacterial growth without heating the contents of your refrigerator to the point that everything spoils.  If the weather outside is 40° F or below, and you have an outside location that is clean and isolated from pesky intruders, cover or seal it tightly and put it outside to cool off.  Otherwise, cool it slightly before placing it in the refrigerator by bathing the bowl in ice water or surrounding it with some reusable ice-packs.  Replace the ice packs / ice bath as needed until it is just warm (not hot) to the touch.  Try not to disturb the stock (by shaking, stirring, etc.) while it is cooling.  The fat contents will rise to the surface, and it’s best to leave that process uninhibited.  Let the stock cool overnight in the refrigerator.

Skim it! Once the stock has completely cooled, you will find a white layer coating the top, which is fat (sometimes called the scum or the schmaltz).  This needs to be carefully removed with a spoon.  Sometimes it coagulates as you skim the surface — just scoop it up and discard it before it sinks.  The stock itself may be gelatinized from, well, the gelatin in the chicken bones.  This is fine because it will liquefy as soon as it is heated.

Store it! Unless you intend to use your stock to make a large pot of soup right away, it is best to store it in the freezer.  I find it convenient to freeze stock in 3 different amounts.  One-ounce ice cubes are perfect for adding to sauces, stir fry, gravy, etc.  One-cup portions are perfect for adding to savory grain dishes, such as rice.  One-quart sizes are great for soups and stews.  Be sure to store each in a baggie or container that is designated for the freezer (breast milk storage bags are perfect for the one-cup size).

The stock will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator and at least 3 months in the freezer, but a batch never lasts much more than a few weeks for me.  It’s one of the easiest ways to infuse flavor into your meals.  Below are a few ideas for how to use chicken stock.

Mushroom Wheat Berry Pilaf Recipe by Alton Brown – There’s a lot of depth to the flavor of this recipe.  I’ve served this several times to family and friends, and people always go back for seconds!

Italian Wedding Soup Recipe – I have tried a lot of recipes for Italian Wedding Soup, and this is very good.

Lentil Soup – One of our Two Dancing Buckeyes favorites!

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by Two Dancing Buckeyes on April 14, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Carne Connoisseurs, Omnivoracious, Soups and Stews
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Posted by Two Dancing Buckeyes on April 14, 2011

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TDB Homemade: Pizza

Growing up in New York City, which is arguably the best pizza city in the U.S.– sorry if I offended anyone just now–my children have their pick of fabulous pie eateries. My favorite pizza joint, Grimaldi’s, happens to be located in Brooklyn, NY, just across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan. Now, with two kids in tow, you can imagine I don’t make the trek too often. But when an out-of-town guest arrives, I always suggest walking over the bridge and stopping for a slice.

What I love about pizza is its versatility. You can add just about anything to the top. And believe me, I’ve seen just about anything. Like the time I was in Taiwan, and the local Pizza Hut offered shrimp and corn as a topping choice! You may not want to be that adventurous, but whether you’re a legume lover, or a carne connoisseur, there’s a topping right for you.

To make your own pizza crust, it does not require a lot of your time or effort. You do, ideally, need to plan a day ahead, as the pizza dough functions better after it has risen and then allowed to rest overnight in the fridge. However, if you opt out of the refrigeration, it will still “work,” just not as well. If you want to skip the homemade dough part altogether, there are quite a few options out there. Trader Joe’s sells fresh dough in three varieties, and most supermarkets sell frozen dough. I usually pick up a ball of dough and some fresh mozzarella at the beginning of the week, just to have in my fridge, in case I feel like making a quick pizza and salad for dinner one night. You can always keep sausage in the freezer, as well as spinach, for possible toppings, and sweet peppers keep nicely in the fridge for about 5-6 days. Add some sliced garlic and onion and you’ve got a supreme pizza worth raving about. My favorite canned tomatoes are the Muir Glen fire roasted brand. They give the pizza a nice smoky flavor. Feel free to add some crushed fennel seeds or freshly ground pepper on top of your pizza, too.

And now for the most important component of making a pizza: the pizza stone. Skipping the pizza stone is the biggest mistake people make when attempting to make a pizza at home. Without it, your pizza crust doesn’t cook quickly enough, and you are left with a burned-on-the-top, soggy-on-the-bottom pizza. Pizza stones are sold at numerous price points, ranging from about $10-$100. To tell you the truth, I have a $15 pizza stone, which has served me faithfully over the last 7 years. It works fabulously, and because you can’t really clean a pizza stone (except with some hot water), and any oil that may drip from the pizza while baking leaves permanent stains, I don’t feel so guilty since I only spent $15, which probably wouldn’t be the case if I had spent $100.

Pizza is like an artist’s blank canvas, so the resulting painting is up to you. Experiment, get your family involved, but most importantly, have fun!

Basic Pizza Dough Recipe:

1 1/2 c. flour (unbleached, all-purpose), plus more for kneading and rolling out
1 packet (1/4 oz.) yeast
3/4 warm water (90-110°F)
1 Tbl. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Warm your water, and empty the yeast into a a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. (Be careful not to heat your water above 110°F, as you will end up zapping your yeast to death. A simple baking thermometer–you know, the kind you can stick into a piece of meat in order to see how done it is–will give you a good temperature reading. If the water is too hot, just wait a few minutes for it to cool down.) Add the water with the yeast, give it a good stir, and allow the yeast to begin to work while you mix the rest of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. When the yeast becomes somewhat bubbly, add it to the rest of the ingredients, and begin to mix. Continue kneading the dough with your hands, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky.  After a few minutes, form the dough into a ball, placing it inside a lightly greased large mixing bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a fairly warm spot, like on top of your stove range. After an hour, punch down the dough, reform into a ball, cover, and allow to rise another 1-2 hours. Punch down dough and form into another ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (This step can be skipped, but the dough will rise better in the oven if allowed to rest for a day.)

Preheat the oven to 475° F. Be sure to place the pizza stone inside the oven and allow it to warm with the oven while you prepare the pizza. (Usually 30 minutes is a good amount of time for it to really get hot.)

On a floured surface, roll out your dough. Transfer to parchment paper, or if you happen to be lucky enough to own a pizza paddle (a.k.a. pizza peel), leave it where it is. (I have great success using parchment paper between the pizza and the pizza stone, greatly facilitating entry into and removal from the oven.) Add a very thin layer of tomatoes. You don’t want to put too much sauce on top, or else your pizza will become soggy. Slice some fresh mozzarella cheese and place it over the surface of the pizza. Now add any toppings you desire, such as mushrooms, spinach, garlic, peppers, pre-cooked sausage, pepperoni, etc. (Be sure to wring out all the extra moisture from the spinach with a cheesecloth, or through a strainer, before adding to the pizza. Otherwise your pizza will be extremely soggy.)

Using a thin cookie-sheet, scoop up your pizza with the parchment paper underneath and slide it onto the pre-heated pizza stone. If using a pizza paddle without the parchment, sprinkle a little corn meal on the paddle underneath the dough before constructing your pizza to facilitate the “sliding” of the pizza dough from paddle to stone. Allow the pizza to cook anywhere from 13-16 minutes. Remove from the oven with either a pizza paddle or cookie sheet. Place onto a cutting board and slice into pieces using a pizza wheel.

We would love to hear some of your pizza stories, so feel free to share them with us, either by posting a comment, or by sending us an email to: twodancingbuckeyes@gmail.com

Happy eating!

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by Two Dancing Buckeyes on March 25, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Baking Buffs, Breads and Biscuits, Carne Connoisseurs, Legume Lovers, Omnivoracious
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Posted by Two Dancing Buckeyes on March 25, 2011

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UFO Ostrich Pasta

A couple of months ago, I decided to finally stop at the ostrich meat stand at my local farmer’s market. I had passed by on numerous occasions, staring with amazement at the enormous off-white ostrich and speckled blue-green emu eggs adorning the stand’s table, thinking to myself that I would try the meat “next week.” So there I was, asking the ostrich farmer all about the ostrich. I learned a lot about ostrich meat that morning. In fact, I can’t recall all the interesting facts that gentleman explained to me about his animals, with heated passion. But, I did come away with the knowledge that ostrich meat is an anomaly, being the only “white” red meat. It looks like ground beef in color, but it cooks like poultry, which it is.

You don’t have to spend as much time cooking the meat as you would ground beef. For instance, if you’re making a pasta sauce with meat, you allow the base of the sauce to cook its normal amount of time,  adding the ostrich meat in at the very end, and allowing it to cook for about 8-10 minutes only. Ostrich meat is a lovely alternative for those people who, for whatever reason, have sworn off red meat. It even contains less fat and cholesterol than chicken, and honestly, it imitates the taste of beef pretty well. Now for the cool factor, at least in my house: “What are we having for dinner, mom?”….. “Ostrich?!?”…..”Cool!” My son loves to learn about the food he’s about to consume, and when it happens to be something he’s not too familiar with, it provides us an opportunity to explain more about a certain animal or vegetable, which can lead to interesting dinner table conversations, to say the least!

The title of this recipe is obviously geared more towards children, but the ostrich sauce works well on any shaped pasta, not just orecchiette (aka: UFO). Of course you could tweak the spices, herbs, vegetables, and meat in the sauce to your liking. Experiment away!

For the sauce:
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lg. carrot, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 28 oz. can ground tomatoes
1 lb. ostrich meat
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed from stalk and finely chopped
2 bay leaves
small handful whole allspice berries (about 6)
1 whole cinnamon stick
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 olive oil, for sautéing
1/3-1/2 c. water
salt, pepper to taste

1/2 box Orecchiette “small ears” pasta

In a large sauté pan on medium-high heat, add the oil, onion, garlic, and carrot. Allow to cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Lightly salt and pepper the vegetables, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, rosemary, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and allspice berries. Add some water to thin the tomatoes out a bit. (But don’t drown the sauce!) Give it a good stirring, then lower the heat to the lowest setting possible; cover pan and allow to cook slowly for about 30-45 minutes. Once sauce has finished cooking, add the ostrich meat and cook for about 8-10 minutes. **If you are using another type of meat, such as beef, it should be added after the onion and garlic and cooked the entire time with the sauce.**

Meanwhile, bring a large stock pot, filled with water, to a rolling boil. Add 1 large spoon of coarse salt along with your pasta. Allow the pasta to cook according to package instructions. Drain and add 1-2 Tbl. butter to the cooked pasta; reserve. Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and allspice berries from the sauce. If you wish, add the pasta to the sauce pan, or, keep the pasta separated from the sauce. Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and finely chopped parsley. Now you and your crew are ready for take off……..

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by Two Dancing Buckeyes on February 7, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Carne Connoisseurs, Omnivoracious, Pasta Dishes
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Posted by Two Dancing Buckeyes on February 7, 2011

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Moroccan Lamb Stew

Many times I hear people say, “I just don’t have enough time to cook good food.” While I totally understand that the average person doesn’t have six hours to prepare dinner, and believe me, I certainly do not as well, I do think that people assume a fabulous tasting dish must have taken numerous hours of work to prepare. I’m here to tell you that this simply isn’t true in every case. For instance, the stew, or casserole, dish is a wonderful example of a delicious meal, which does not require that much of your effort or time. It is true that a stew needs to cook for a number of hours (usually anywhere from 2-4 hours), but once you’ve added all the ingredients into the pot, you are pretty much good to go. Sit back, relax, and let the stew “stew” itself away. (That is, unless you still have to hang up the laundry, mop the floors, put the toys away for the umpteenth time, and replace an entire shelf of books which are now on the floor because your child is playing librarian! Ha!) Stews are also great for those of us who work outside the home. If you own a slow-cooker, simply add the ingredients and follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and when you return home from a hard day’s work, your home will smell divine and your meal will be ready for immediate consumption. Now, who wouldn’t love that?!?!

The Greek cuisine, much to my joy, includes many such dishes. I plan to let you know of them over time. However, I made a stew yesterday with Moroccan seasonings. My husband and I once ordered a similar dish at one of the many now famous NYC “restaurant-on-wheels” trucks. It was delicious, and so, of course, being the Greek that he is, my husband asked for the recipe! I came across his notes the other day and decided to attempt a recreation. I liked the results, as well as the rest of my family, so now, without further ado, I give you, Moroccan Lamb Stew. (By the way, if you haven’t had lamb before, please do try it, as it is a very delicious meat. If you absolutely do not want it in your stew, you could substitute beef or goat meat, or you could simply omit the meat altogether.)

Yield: 6 main portions

2 lbs. lamb stew meat (if you buy it with the bone still in, the stew’s taste develops more fully, but if you don’t want to, buy it without the bone)

1 acorn or butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and cut into 1″ cubes

1 small onion, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced

1/2 c. chickpeas (you can used dried chickpeas, but be sure to soak them in water for a couple of hours prior to cooking)

3-4 md-sized carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces

2 inch piece of ginger, grated (if you have a ginger grater-it’s a ceramic dish with a bumpy center, which turns the ginger into a pretty fine paste-use it; otherwise finely chop the ginger with a knife)

1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. curry powder

1-1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, depending on your taste

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1/2 c. tomato (either from can or if fresh, chopped)

1/4 c. golden raisins or chopped dried apricots

2 c. water (you may need slightly more; just keep an eye on the stew while it cooks and add more water if needed after the 2nd hour)

salt and pepper to taste

handful chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 c. sliced almonds (garnish; may be omitted)

After you have rinsed and patted-dry your stew meat, sprinkle with a good helping of salt and fresh ground pepper, massaging the seasonings into the meat. Do not attempt to remove any of the meat’s fat, since it will be cooking for so many hours. You will want the moisture of the fat so the meat does not become too dry.

Add appx. a 1/4 c. olive oil to a large pot (one that can be covered) on high heat. Once the oil is hot, brown your meat for about three minutes per side. Add the squash, onion, garlic, carrots,  ginger, chickpeas, ground coriander, cumin, and curry powder. Stir together and sauté for 2-3 minutes to allow the spices to cook. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, tomatoes, and dried fruit of your choice. Add the water. You want to just cover the top of the ingredients with water, so adjust the amount accordingly. Let stew come to a low boil, cover, then turn the heat down to about as low as it will go. Allow to cook for about three hours, stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper to your liking.

Once your stew has finished cooking, the meat should melt in your mouth, and the vegetables will have softened and thickened into a lovely tasting mash. Stir in a handful of chopped cilantro. If you like, and I highly recommend this step, dollop each stew serving with some Greek yogurt. If you don’t have a Greek or thick yogurt available to you, you could use sour cream, but it just doesn’t taste the same! I usually cook a side of couscous or quinoa to accompany the stew, but you could always cook some rice, or even small pasta, like orzo. It’s really up to you, so be creative!

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by Two Dancing Buckeyes on January 16, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Carne Connoisseurs, Omnivoracious, Soups and Stews
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Posted by Two Dancing Buckeyes on January 16, 2011

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Greek Meatballs

My husband is Greek; therefore, I am now Greek by association! The ultimate test for a woman who is married to a Greek is how well she cooks (the Greeks love to eat and they certainly eat well!). The meatball, once mastered, is appreciated by young and old alike. There are countless recipes out there, but I must tell you, after years of desperately attempting one recipe after another, I finally was able to watch a Greek friend’s mother make her version last summer. I must admit, I will never have to look for another recipe again. These guys are addictive! You could make a large batch and freeze whatever portion you don’t intend to cook that day, but in my house, they go so quickly that I don’t ever have any extra meat mix to freeze. There are also many versions of dishes you can incorporate the meatballs into, which I will explain below. But if you are like me, you might just want to eat them right out of the pan.

 (Yield: 25 meatballs)

  • 1 lb.  ground organic, grass-fed beef (you could substitute a ¼ lb. of ground pork if you prefer)
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 large organic egg
  • 5-6 lg. spoonfuls bread crumbs
  • 6-7 lg. spoonfuls olive oil
  • 1 lg. spoonful red wine or sherry vinegar
  • 2-3 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large bunch of parsely
  • 1 small bunch of mint
  • 1/2-3/4 lg. spoonful salt (to your liking)
  • 1 sm. spoonful dried oregano
  • ½ sm. spoonful ground cumin (add more or less to your liking)
  • Ground pepper to taste
  • ¾ c. flour (for dredging)
  • 2 c. (about) olive oil for frying

*By large spoonful, I mean the largest spoon in your home cutlery set, and a small spoon being the dessert spoon.

Store bought breadcrumbs work just as well in this recipe, but if you have some stale bread (about ½ a baguette) break into chunks and process in food processor until fine crumbs form. Measure out 5-6 lg. spoonfuls and store any extra breadcrumbs in a sealed container.

In a food processor, add the onion and garlic, tomatoes, and herbs, and process until coarsely chopped. In a large bowl, add the meat, egg, processed onion mixture, bread crumbs, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin. Begin adding large spoonfuls of oil. However, do not add the oil all at once. Continue adding spoonfuls of oil while you mix the ingredients by hand. The mixture should feel soft and very easy to mold once you have finished mixing it with your hands.The key to making meatballs is how well you mix all the ingredients together. So get your hands messy and have some fun!

Break off large cookie dough size portions of the meat mixture and roll into balls. Slightly flatten the meatballs to make a shape in between a ball and a disk. Dredge with flour and shake off any excess. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a heavy bottomed frying pan, heat your oil. When you flick a few drops of water into the oil with your fingers and is bubbles, the oil is ready. Carefully add the meatballs (about 8 at a time) into the pan. Allow to cook for approximately 2 minutes on each side. With a slotted spoon, transfer cooked meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.

If you can bear to wait the 5 minutes it takes to allow the meatballs to cool, then you won’t burn your tongue. Otherwise, best of luck!

Side Suggestions:

Traditionally, the Greeks always serve meatballs with French fries. I usually peel 5 potatoes and hand cut them into thin pieces. Then fry them in a pan on the stove with some olive oil until nicely crisped. Alternatively, you could always bake some seasoned potato wedges in the oven at 350° F for about 45 minutes.

Alternate Meatball Dishes:

Make a simple red sauce (onion, garlic, can tomato, bay leaf, etc). Meanwhile, on very low heat, add some olive oil and halved, de-seeded green peppers. Cover, and allow to cook very slowly until peppers are soft. Add cooked peppers and cooked meatballs to sauce. Cook until flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Serve with some good crusty bread, or with pasta.

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by Two Dancing Buckeyes on December 10, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Carne Connoisseurs
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Posted by Two Dancing Buckeyes on December 10, 2010

http://twodancingbuckeyes.com/2010/12/10/greek-meatballs/

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