Ouzo Meatballs Food

MEATBALLS WITH OUZO AND MINT

Steps:

• Tear bread into bite-size pieces, and place in a small bowl. Add ouzo. Let stand for 10 minutes to soak. Squeeze excess liquid from bread. Transfer bread to a medium bowl. Cook onion in 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft, about 6 minutes. Add onion to bowl with bread.
• Add ground beef to bowl, and break up with your hands. Stir in egg and yolks, capers, garlic, mint, oregano, and salt. Season with pepper. Knead mixture until well combined, then use a spoon to stir until smooth. With moistened hands, shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs, and place on a tray. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, and cook meatballs in batches, about 12 at a time, turning until evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Add fresh oil as needed for each batch. (While you work, keep cooked meatballs warm on a rimmed baking sheet in a 200-degree oven.) Finely grate lemon over meatballs, and serve warm.

EXCELLENT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add the water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! YUM!
• Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
• Pass the tomatoes through the food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. That's all of the big money stuff! Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
• Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and freezes really well.
• Yield: 2 quarts

GREEK MEATBALLS RECIPE (KEFTEDES/ KEFTETHES)

Steps:

• To prepare this traditional Greek meatballs recipe (keftedes), add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well (for about 5-10 minutes), squeezing with your hands, to allow the flavours to blend. Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Turn the mixture for the keftedes out of the fridge and roll into meatballs the size of a walnut (or bigger if you prefer). If you're frying them, dredge the rolled meatballs lightly in flour making sure to shake off any excess. Fry until nicely browned on all sides.
• The traditional way of cooking Greek meatballs (keftedes) is frying them. Fry the keftedes in batches of 10-15 at a time, until nicely browned on all sides.
• Instead of frying you can bake / grill the keftedes in the oven. Preheat the oven at 200C, place the un-floured keftedes on greased baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning the meatballs upside down midway through cooking time. The grilled version is much lighter than the fried so theres not excuse to not trying it now!
• Keftedes (Greek meatballs) are ideally served as an appetizer (meze) with some creamy tzatziki sauce and pita breads or as a main course with some basmati rice and a Greek salad. Enjoy!

LEMON, ORZO, AND MEATBALL SOUP

Steps:

• Combine first 4 ingredients, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoons rosemary in a medium bowl. Shape into 30 (1-inch) meatballs (about 1 level tablespoons each).
• Saute meatballs, in two batches, in 1 tablespoons hot oil per batch in a dutch oven over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon.
• Saute onion and next 2 ingredients in remaining 1 tablespoons hot oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat 3-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth, lemon juice,and remaining 2 teaspoons zest and 1/2 teaspoons rosemary. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add orzo. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, 7 - 9 minutes or until pasta is almost tender.
• Stir in meatballs; simmer, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese and parsley.

OUZO MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Fry onions in olive oil until golden.
• Mix fried onion and all other ingredients together. For this step I use a food processor provided of a spiral dough hook.
• Grease a baking mold with olive oil.
• Grease your hands and shape small balls of about 2''.
• Bake under the grill for about 15 Minutes or until lightly browned und through.
• Serve warm or cold.
• Note: After cooking or just before finishing you can add to the mold the content of 1 tin canned tomatoes, fried onion, parsley, salt and pepper. Bake until boiling and serve.

MEATBALLS & ORZO

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onions in olive oil until tender.
• Add beef broth, bring to a boil.
• Stir in orzo, meatballs and tomatoes, return to a boil.
• Cover & reduce to medium heat. Simmer for about 8 minutes.
• Serve in bowls, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese ontop if desired.

KEFTEDAKIA (GREEK MINT AND OUZO FLAVORED MEATBALLS)

Steps:

• Soak the bread in the ouzo for at least 5 minutes.
• Heat half the olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat, add the onions, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not brown.
• Remove the onions with a slotted spoon, placing them in a large mixing bowl.
• Squeeze the bread dry (discard the ouzo) and add the bread to the onions.
• Add the ground beef, egg, mint, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and knead vigorously with your hands, then beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
• Shape the beef mixture into balls about the size of walnuts (you may find that wetting your hands with water helps prevent sticking) and then roll the meatballs in the flour to coat evenly.
• Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Add the remaining olive oil to a large skillet and brown the meatballs, 7 or 8 at a time, over high heat, cooking 8 to 10 minutes and shaking the pan from time to time.
• As each batch is done, remove them with a slotted spoon and place on an ovenproof serving platter.
• Keep them warm in a 200°F (100°C) oven while you finish cooking the rest.

MINT AND OUZO FLAVORED MEATBALLS: KEFTEDAKIA

Steps:

• In a bowl, soak the bread pieces in the ouzo until the ouzo is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
• In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the meat and onions. Squeeze the bread dry and add to the mixture. Add the remaining ingredients except the flour and Essence, and mix well with your hands. With wet hands, shape the mixture into small balls about the size of a walnut.
• In a shallow dish, combine the flour and Essence. Roll the meatballs in the flour to lightly coat on all sides. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil over high heat. Add the meatballs in batches, being careful not to overcrowd and cook until evenly browned and cooked through, shaking the pan from time to time, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and place in a baking dish in the oven to keep warm. Cook the remaining meatballs, adding more oil as needed to the pan.
• Make the sauce in a separate pan.
• In a separate pan, add the olive oil and heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and carefully add the ouzo. Return the mixture to the heat and flambe. Cook until the flames die down. When the flames go out, add the herbs and cook for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and pour over the meatballs.
• Arrange on a platter, sprinkle with the chopped herbs and grated Kefalotyri, and serve hot with glasses of ouzo.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

GREEK MEATBALLS KEFTETHES WITH TSATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• FOR THE MEATBALLS:
• Fry onions with vegetable oil over low heat until golden. Remove to a large mixing bowl.
• Add meat and all other ingredients except flour and olive/corn oil mix. Knead for about 10 minutes or until mixture is a smooth paste.
• Heat the oil mix in a large frying pan to the point of fragrance.
• Meanwhile, start to shape mixture into balls about the size of a large marble by rolling lightly between palms of hands, I suggest that you do them in batches of say 12 - 16, each batch being enough to space evenly but separately in the frying pan.
• As each meatball is formed place them on a large plate which has been liberally covered with plain flour. When the batch is finished lightly roll the meatball in the flour. At this point the oil in the frying pan should be just ready.
• Put the batch of meatball into the pan (Use kitchen tongs as the oil is very hot).
• Start on your second batch of meatballs, make them and place them on the floured plate. At this point it is time to turn the meatballs over and when you have completed this roll the second batch in the flour.
• Now it is time to remove the first batch from the frying pan using a slotted spoon or kitchen tongs and place on paper towels to drain.
• Put the second batch of meatballs into the pan to cook and carry on with the process until you have finished the mixture.
• Making the tsatziki: Peel the cucumber, cut it in half and use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds.
• Chop the cucumber finely.
• Peel and press the garlic.
• Mix the cucumber, garlic, mint, and yogurt, with salt and pepper. Make the tsatziki at least 2 hours ahead to give the flavors a change to develop.