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I like mint. And meatballs. Suzi will eat anything chorizo. She has a mild, but treatable, addiction to feta. We were destined for this recipe and we loved every meatball. On Sunday when we made them, and on Monday when we finished them off.

Graham Elliot, TV personality, chef, and author, knows how to cook like a master chef. In his wonderful book Cooking Like a Master Chef Graham is gently but directly guiding you to culinary greatness. Well, a least a step or two up the ladder.

These are not super fancy restaurant recipes. These are ones Graham enjoys at home with his family though, to be sure, many of the recipes in the book have been honed and tuned at his restaurant.

Meatballs are ubiquitous. So is mankind’s love of spice and smoky flavor. Chorizo sausage just happens to be both, so Graham has fashioned these chorizo meatballs. And, since the meatballs have flavor power, the accompanying sauce is quite spicy, too. There’s so much flavor power here that you really can just eat them on their own, no need for pasta, rice, or noodles. But, that’s your choice.

 


Chorizo Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Yield: about 20 meatballs, enough for 6 to 8 people [maybe]

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 ounces ground pork shoulder
  • 8 ounces lean ground beef
  • 2 Spanish chorizo sausages, casings removed, sausage meat minced
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
  • ½ cup dried bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh chives
  • 1 teaspoon piment d’Espelette, cayenne pepper, or hot paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground sumac
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • Salt

For the spicy tomato sauce:

  • 2 (14 ½ ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 (14 ½ ounce) can Piquillo peppers, drained
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 tablespoon harissa paste
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Salt

For the garnish:

  • 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves

Preparation:

For the meatballs, in a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent and softened. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, mix the pork, beef, sausage, eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs, wine, parsley, chives, piment d’Espelette, sumac, lemon zest, and a little salt. Add the cooled onion and garlic. Using your hands, work the mixture until the ingredients are well mixed. Season with salt.

Roll the meat between your palms to make 20 small meatballs, about the size of walnuts.

In another large skillet, heat the remaining oil. You only need a film of oil to coat the skillet. Brown the meatballs on all sides and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, for the sauce, in a blender, puree the tomatoes, peppers, oil, garlic, and harissa. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by about one-third. Stir in the vinegar and season with lemon juice and salt.

Put the meatballs in the sauce and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

Garnish with the feta, parsley, and mint and serve.


Source: Cooking Like a Master Chef by Graham Elliot [Atria Books, 2015]

Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/4.5 for 1/60th second at ISO‑1000