MEATBALLS WITH FLAIR

COOKING TIPS

Meatballs are unjustly considered second-rate food, whereas they actually provide great variety to your menu.
We don't always offer meatballs at the restaurant, but when we do, they always sell very well. And at home, where the pickiest customers actually reside, meatballs are always greeted with loud approval.
Meatballs are a bit time consuming, but fun to make. They can wait and be reheated and they won't break your budget either.
This month,  I will be sharing with you a basic but exquisite recipe for Spaghetti and Meatballs , a children-tested favorite with Jewish Grandmother's Meatballs , some captivating Indian Koftas , and my own apocryphal Moroccan Meatballs .

The actual meat in the recipe is somewhat flexible. I often blend meats to combine qualities: beef shapes well and is dryish, chicken is very lean and very wet, veal is lean and dry, pork is very fat, and lamb is fat and distinctive.
Fresh parsley and fresh cilantro are a must. Be very generous.
Use unseasoned bread crumbs, from the store (fresh is fine if you're out). Don't omit the bread crumbs. They are not just a "filler". They also make the meatballs light and fluffy.
Lastly, remember to shape the meatballs with cold wet hands.

RECIPES (for 4 hungry guests)

Spaghetti and Meatballs

In a glass bowl, grate 1 clove garlic on the grater's small holes and half of one onion on the big holes. Add the meat, egg, crumbs, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and a scant teaspoon salt. Mix well by hand. Taste your fingertip a tiny bit and adjust salt.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan (a chicken-frying pan or "sauteuse" is best). Patiently fry the remaining onions, chopped, until golden and about to start browning. Add chopped tomatoes, rest of garlic, dry herbs, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 scant teaspoon salt, the wine, tomato paste and about 3/4 cup water. Mix well, cover and simmer gently.
Shape the meat into medium-size balls, a little smaller than one inch wide.
Give the sauce a good stir. Add a bit of water if the sauce threatens to stick, then drop the meatballs on top of the sauce and cover again.
About 7 minutes later, the meatballs will be firm enough for you to stir everything very gently without breaking them up.
Cook about 10 minutes longer. Correct salt in sauce.

Jewish Grandmother's Meatballs

In a glass bowl, mix well the meat, garlic, parsley, green onion or scallion, salt, pepper and 1/3 cup bread crumbs. Add a bit of bread crumbs if the mixture is uncomfortably thin. Taste your fingertip a tiny bit and adjust salt.
With cold wet hands, shape mixture into balls the shape and size of your thumb (or a single Mounds candy bar), and roll them in additional bread crumbs.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan.
Gently drop the meatballs into the oil (they should sizzle well, but they won't splatter much).
Flip the meatballs when they are golden brown on the underside. Flip again once or twice until there are no pale spots left on the meatballs, but don't over brown either.
Transfer to a platter lined with several layers of paper towel.
Eat warm with rice, or at room temperature, for a picnic perhaps, or at midnight, straight out of the refrigerator.

Koftas

Mix all ingredients above and shape into plump breakfast sausage shapes. 
Reserve meatballs while you work on the sauce below:

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan (a chicken-frying pan or "sauteuse" is best). Throw in the cinnamon and cloves, and a second later, the onion.
Patiently fry the onion until golden and about to start browning. Add the tomatoes and the garlic, and cook on until the tomatoes collapse. Stir in the yogurt. After a minute or two, add all other ingredients except the cilantro and simmer for 15 minutes or so.
Give the sauce a good stir. Add a bit of water if the sauce threatens to stick, then drop the meatballs on top of the sauce and cover again.
About 7 minutes later, the meatballs will be firm enough for you to stir everything very gently without breaking them up.
Cook about 10 minutes longer. Correct salt in sauce. Add cilantro. Serve with Basmati rice (see archives).

Moroccan Meatballs (these were published in the Cumberland County Historical Cookbook and the Editor wrote "Pray for leftovers.")

Mix all ingredients well by hand and shape the meat into medium-size balls, a little smaller than one inch wide.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan (a chicken-frying pan or "sauteuse" is best). Fry the onion, garlic and carrot until golden. Add the tomatoes, raisins and spices and simmer gently, covered, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Give the sauce a good stir. Add a bit of water if the sauce threatens to stick, and add the tomato paste, zucchini, bell pepper and parsley to the sauce. Stir the sauce well again, then drop the meatballs on top of the sauce and cover again.
About 7 minutes later, the meatballs will be firm enough for you to stir everything very gently without breaking them up.
Cook about 10 minutes longer. Correct salt in sauce.
Serve with rice or couscous.