Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [62]
With a touch of sour cream and ground spices, these meatballs are certainly more than just a cocktail appetizer to be served with toothpicks! Serve them any night on their own, on top of noodles, or alongside mashed potatoes. If you can’t find ground veal, use all ground beef.
pound lean ground beef
pound ground veal
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 medium shallots, minced
3 tablespoons plain dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons milk or 2 tablespoons heavy cream
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
teaspoon ground cloves
One 14 ½ -ounce can beef stock (regular, low-fat, or nonfat, but preferably low-sodium)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sour cream (regular, low-fat, or nonfat)
1. In a medium bowl, mix the ground beef and veal with a fork just until combined. Mix in the egg yolk, shallots, bread crumbs, milk, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper just until combined, but not so much that the meat fibers break apart into mush. Form this mixture by tablespoonfuls into 20 or so balls; set them aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix the flour with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, the remaining ¼ teaspoon of pepper, the allspice, and cloves; set aside. To concentrate its flavors, bring the beef stock to a boil in a small saucepan set over high heat. Boil for about 5 minutes, or until reduced to 1 cup. Set aside, covered, to keep warm.
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet or sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the meatballs and sauté for about 4 minutes, or until browned, turning occasionally. Use a fine-mesh sieve or strainer to sift the prepared flour and spice mixture over the meatballs. Shake the skillet once or twice to mix any flour with the fat in the pan (stirring the mixture can break up the meatballs). Continue cooking for 1 minute, shaking the pan frequently; then pour in the reduced stock. Again, shake the pan a few times to combine the stock and the flour and to distribute the mixture evenly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, basting the meatballs often with the sauce. Stir in the sour cream, cover, and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
KOREAN BEEF KABOBS makes 2 skewers
We’ve recreated the traditional sesame-flavored Korean kabob by using lean sirloin steak, a cut more readily available and certainly less fatty than the beef shoulder traditionally used in this staple of Korean street food. You can deepen the flavors by marinating the steak all day. All you need is brown rice and some steamed green beans for a complete meal.
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon mild paprika
1 teaspoon red chili paste (see page 12)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small shallot, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
¾ pound sirloin steak, trimmed, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch strips (about 6 pieces)
1 small red onion, cut into quarters (see Notes)
Two 8- to 10-inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water at least 20 minutes (see Notes)
1. Whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, paprika, red chili paste, black pepper, shallot, and garlic in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the cubed steak and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but no more than 12 hours, tossing occasionally.
2. Preheat the broiler, placing the broiler rack or oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Drain the meat, reserving the marinade. Thread the meat, green pepper strips, and onion quarters onto the soaked skewers, alternating meat and vegetables. Wrap the ends of the skewers in small pieces of aluminum foil. You can also line a lipped baking sheet or the broiler pan with aluminum foil to facilitate cleanup afterward.
3. Place the kabobs on