Meatball Recipes from Bon Apetit

The other day I bought Bon Apetit because I was interested in the meatballs article. I have chosen here the ones that really sounded interesting to make.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi

The French-Vietnamese hybrid sandwiches called banh mi are great for lunch or a casual dinner.

makes 4 sandwiches
Recipe by Jeanne Thiel Kelley
Photograph by Craig Cutler
January 2010

HOT CHILI MAYO

2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)*

MEATBALLS

1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

SANDWICHES

2 cups coarsely grated carrots
2 cups coarsely grated peeled daikon (Japanese white radish)**
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
4 10-inch-long individual baguettes or four 10-inch-long pieces French-bread baguette (cut from 2 baguettes)
Thinly sliced jalapeño chiles
16 large fresh cilantro sprigs
*Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.
**Available at some supermarkets and at Asian markets.

HOT CHILI MAYO

Stir all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt.

DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

MEATBALLS

Line rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

SANDWICHES

Toss first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, tossing occasionally.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to another rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs.
Cut each baguette or baguette piece horizontally in half. Pull out enough bread from each bread half to leave 1/2-inch-thick shell. Spread hot chili mayo over each bread shell. Arrange jalapeños, then cilantro, in bottom halves. Fill each with 1/4 of meatballs. Drain pickled vegetables; place atop meatballs. Press on baguette tops.

Lamb Köfte with Yogurt Sauce and Muhammara



The Middle East on a flatbread: Turkish meatballs, a tahini-spiked yogurt sauce, and muhammara, a Syrian red pepper spread.

6 servings
Recipe by Jeanne Thiel Kelley
Photograph by Craig Cutler
January 2010

YOGURT SAUCE

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)*
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

KÖFTE

2 pounds ground lamb
1/2 cup minced fresh mint
1/4 cup coarsely grated onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 5- to 7-inch-diameter soft round Middle Eastern flatbreads (preferably with no pocket)
2 tablespoons (or more) olive oil, divided
2 large onions, halved through core, cut crosswise into 1/4- to 1/3-inch slices

MUHAMMARA

1/2 cup finely chopped drained roasted red peppers from jar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons (or more) pomegranate molasses**
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
*Available at some supermarkets, natural foods stores, and Middle Eastern markets.
**A thick pomegranate syrup; available at some supermarkets, at Middle Eastern markets, and from adrianascaravan.com.

YOGURT SAUCE

Stir all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Cover and chill.

KÖFTE

Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix lamb and next 8 ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Arrange on sheet.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Place large sheet of foil on work surface. Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add flatbreads to skillet 1 at a time; cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Enclose in foil; place in oven to keep warm.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer onions to 1 side of large rimmed baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to same skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Sauté half of meatballs until just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs, adding oil to skillet if dry. Reserve skillet.

MUHAMMARA

Add roasted peppers to reserved skillet; stir 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses. Bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits. Cook until reduced to 2/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Mix in parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more pomegranate molasses, if desired. Transfer to small bowl.
Arrange onions and meatballs on platter. Serve with warm breads, yogurt sauce, and muhammara.



Moroccan Beef Meatball Tagine

A tagine is a Moroccan stew. In this version, tender beef meatballs are braised with vegetables, then served over herbed couscous.


6 servings
Recipe by Jeanne Thiel Kelley
Photograph by Chris Bartlett
January 2010

MEATBALLS

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (20% fat)
1/3 cup coarsely grated onion
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 large egg, beaten to blend
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

STEW

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 1/2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
2 cups beef broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 cups 1/2-inch-thick carrot slices (cut on diagonal)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish
1 5-ounce package baby spinach leaves
Couscous with Fresh Cilantro and Lemon Juice (click for recipe)
Lemon wedges (for garnish)


MEATBALLS

Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Arrange meatballs on sheet.

STEW

Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté about 15 minutes. Add garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, and saffron; stir 2 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes with juice, and raisins.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring stew to simmer. Stir in carrots. Carefully add meatballs to stew; gently press into liquid to submerge. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cilantro over. Cover pot; place in oven. Bake until meatballs are cooked through and carrots are tender, about 35 minutes. Sprinkle spinach over stew. Cover and bake until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes longer. Gently stir to mix in spinach, being careful not to break meatballs. Remove cinnamon sticks. Season tagine with salt and pepper.
Spoon couscous into bowls; top with tagine. Garnish with cilantro and lemons.