Where’s The Beef? A Cookbook About Meatballs Around the World

Global Meatballs: Around the World in 100+ Boundary-Breaking Recipes, From Beef to Bean and All Delicious Things in Between by Adeline Meyers.

How do you like your meatballs? Italian style with tomato sauce? Swedish sweet and sour? As a fish ball in a Chinese hot pot? French rabbit and sage? Thai curry made with goat, beef or pork? The combinations are endless. Now with this new cookbook, Global Meatballs by Adeline Meyers, cooks can discover the diverse meatballs made by different cultures all over the world.

Author Adeline Myers a native of Salem, MA, received formal French culinary training at Tante Marie’s Cooking School and worked for a year as a baker in the renowned Tartine Bakery, both in San Francisco. Along with the 100-plus global recipes, including a chapter on Veggie Balls, information is imparted on the size, cooking time, freezing and forming of this comfort food. Some recipes include: Turkey and Stuffing “Thanksgiving” Meatballs; Ruby Beet Balls from Georgia; New England Codfish Balls with Tartar Sauce; Pistachio Lamb Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Pomegranate Glaze; Lentil Balls with Lemon Pesto and Tahini Sauce; and Scallion Tofu Balls with Ginger Glaze. Of the 100 plus recipes, 46 recipes are 100% gluten-free. Colorful pictures accompany many of the recipes.

Here is a recipe for Italian wedding soup for you to try:

ItalianWeddingSoup
Italian Wedding Soup

Yield: 6 to 10 servings

For the soup:

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

1 cup (160 g) finely diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

¹/3 cup (80 ml) white wine

4 cups (950 ml) chicken stock

4 cups (950 ml) water

2 cups (60 g) chopped Swiss chard or spinach (fresh or frozen)

1 cup (200 g) small pasta, such as stars (stelline)

Salt and black pepper to taste

For the meatballs :

1 pound (455 g) ground pork (or half pork, half beef)

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons (15 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

½ cup (60 g) bread crumbs

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 egg

In a large stockpot that will accommodate the soup, heat the olive oil, onion, and garlic on medium heat. After 5 to 6 minutes, when the onion is translucent and still pale in color, add the white wine. Boil the wine for 2 to 3 minutes to ensure the alcohol taste cooks off. When the volume of wine has reduced by around half, add the stock, water, and chard. Bring to a boil.

While the soup is heating to a boil is an ideal time to make the meatballs. Mix the ground meat, salt, cheese, bread crumbs, garlic powder, and egg in a mixing bowl. Using 1 hand to hold the bowl steady, form the other hand into the shape of a claw and use it to mix, keeping the meat mixture light by turning it over and over with outstretched fingers, without kneading it. The ingredients should be incorporated but not a homogeneous mass. Using both hands, roll it into small 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls.

Add the pasta to the lightly boiling soup and cook for about 6 minutes (follow package instructions) until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn the soup down to a low simmer and gently add the meatballs. Allow the meatballs to cook in the soup for 12 to 15 minutes. Refrain from stirring while the meatballs cook, and keep the liquid at a low simmer. The balls are fragile until they are fully cooked. Test doneness by cutting one meatball in half, and cook longer if necessary.

Serve in soup bowls topped with grated cheese. This soup can be made ahead and reheats well.

Global Meatballs Cover
Reprinted with permission from Quarry Books (2015).

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