A man can only have one wife.
At a time.
But, but, we all crave some diversity. Must all our meatballs be Italian with tomato sauce? Now, Suzi makes ideal Italian ones, with a recipe handed to her by Anna Nurse from Brooklyn. Nothing could be better.
But things can be different. Like this Turkish idea.
Yesterday I reviewed Just Cook It! where author Justin Chapple presents ideas from around the world for the busy, and sometimes neglected, American kitchen. There are a couple of secrets to this recipe: the sweetness of pomegranate and the fat in ground lamb. Plus a healthy dose of mint.
Yes, these are meatballs made from lamb. Lamb meat tends to be a tad fatter than beef. Repeat after me: Fat is good, fat is flavor. Yes, say it three times.
When you buy that beef that is all red and has almost no white streaks of fat, you are wasting your money. If you doubt, please consult Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient by Jennifer McLagan. She’s a genius who has cooked for the Queen of England. Fat is what gives meat flavor, so get some ground lamb for goodness sake.
Suzi and I will explore these soon ourselves. We love pomegranate: in salads, in drinks and now, I can see, in our meatballs.
One wife. Two meatballs. I’m satisfied.
Pomegranate Glazed Turkish Meatballs
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2 slices day-old white sandwich bread or any other soft bread you have on hand
- 1 pound ground lamb
- ½ small onion, finely grated
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ cup finely chopped fresh mint, plus more for sprinkling
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cups no-sugar-added pomegranate juice
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Preparation:
In a large bowl, cover the bread with ¼ cup water and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the lamb, onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, ½ cup of the mint, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Knead the mixture until well blended. Using a 1-tablespoon measure, firmly scoop the mixture into 1 and ¼‑inch meatballs.
In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until browned all over and nearly cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate.
Pour off the fat from the skillet. Add the pomegranate juice and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until reduced to the consistency of a glaze, about 10 minutes. Return the meatballs to the skillet and cook, turning the meatballs frequently, until cooked through and glazed, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds.
In a small serving bowl, whisk together the yogurt, the remaining ¼ cup mint, and a generous pinch of salt. Sprinkle with mint and serve with the meatballs.
Source: Just Cook It! by Justin Chapple [Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018]