Gyro Meatballs

The June Daring Cooks’ challenge sure kept us rolling – meatballs, that is! Shelley from C Mom Cook and Ruth from TheCrafts of Mommyhood challenged us to try meatballs from around the world and to create our own meatball meal celebrating a culture or cuisine of our own choice.

When I was growing up, my town had an indoor flea market. On Saturdays and Sundays, the market would fill with vendors selling everything from live goldfish to scarves, stickers, jewelry and cassette tapes. I loved walking through the market, seeing how far I could stretch the few dollars I'd earned from mowing the lawn or babysitting my little sister.

The back of the market was where the food vendors set up. Decades later, I still remember the mouthwatering smells coming from the Greek stall. It was the gyros, in particular, that I ordered time after time. I loved the combination of fragrant, spit roasted meat, sliced thin and tossed onto a pillowy pita, topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, and garlicky tzatziki. That's the flavor I tried to recreate for this months' Daring Cooks' Challenge, which asked us to create an international meatball. 

I searched online for a gyro recipe, to see what spices give gyros their distinctive flavor. The recipe I found called for Greek seasoning, which I didn't have. According to a note in the recipe, Greek seasoning is a combination of "coarse flake salt, granulated garlic powder, Tellicherry black pepper, onion powder, Greek fancy oregano and powdered lemon peel." I pulled together most of those ingredients and substituted as best I could for things I didn't have. 

The resulting meatballs were good. They were moist and flavorful and satisfying wrapped in naan and topped with the traditional gyro accompaniments. But they didn't quite capture the flavor I was looking for. That indoor flea market shut its doors years ago. So I guess I'll have to keep searching for a gyro that lives up to the one in my memories.

Finely chop onion in food processor.

Add seasonings.

Pulse until onions and seasonings are well combined.

Using your hands, combine onion mixture with ground beef.

Roll into golf ball sized meatballs.

Working in batches, cook meatballs in skillet until browned on all sides, but not cooked through.

When browned, transfer meatballs to a baking sheet.

Bake until meatballs are cooked through.

Serve on pita bread or naan, with tzaziki, lettuce, tomato and onion.

Gyro Meatballs

Adapted from recipes by Kalyn’s Kitchen and allrecipes.com

1 small onion, cut into chunks

1 pound ground beef (or a combination of beef and lamb)

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried marjoram

1 tsp ground dried rosemary

1 tsp ground dried thyme

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp Greek seasoning (or use a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, dried Greek oregano and powdered lemon peel)

For serving: soft pita or naan, tzaziki, lettuce, tomato, onion

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.    Put onion in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add all seasonings to onion. Pulse until onion and seasonings are well blended.

3.    Place the ground beef into a large bowl. Add the onion mixture. Mix together with your hands until well combined. Roll into golf ball size meatballs.

4.    Heat canola oil in a large frying pan. Working in batches, cook meatballs until browned on all sides, but not cooked through. Transfer meatballs to a sheet pan.

5.    When all the meatballs are browned, place the sheet pan in the oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through but still moist.

6.    To serve, put meatballs on pita bread. Top with tzaziki, lettuce, tomato and onion.

Makes about 20 meatballs.

Braised Short Ribs

I was going through the Garlic Press archives the other day when I realized that I hadn't posted a single recipe for short ribs. How was this possible? Short ribs are one of my very favorite winter meals. They're rich and tender and flavorful and they make the house smell amazing.

Once I realized my lapse, I did what any dedicated blogger would do. I went right out and got some short ribs. (I know, the sacrifices I make for you guys.) The weather couldn't have been any more cooperative. Bright, sunny, and 20 degrees. The kind of weather that demands that you have something bubbling away in the kitchen.

Start with the short ribs. You can see they have plenty of fat. Take the time to trim off as much fat as you can. It'll make a huge difference.

Season the ribs with salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Let them sit for a little while.

In the meantime, prep the rest of your ingredients: carrots, celery and onions.

Now heat the oil in a large cast iron pot. Sear the meat on the meaty sides until it's a nice, deep brown. Do this in small batches. If you add too much meat at once, it will steam and not get brown. 

Remove each batch of meat once it browns.

In the same pot, saute the veggies until they are nice and tender.

Add the balsamic vinegar, port and red wine. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce it down to concentrate the flavors.

Then add the short ribs back to the pot, along with the beef broth. Bring it to a boil, then tightly cover and put it in the oven. Let it simmer away for the next few hours.

When you take it out of the oven, the meat should be fork tender, and the liquid will have thickened up a bit.

Now, remove the ribs from the pot. Fish out any bay leave and thyme sprigs.

Blend the sauce with an immersion blender. (The recipe said to strain the sauce, but I decided to puree the carrots, celery and onion into the sauce. It worked nicely as a thickener and gave it some more flavor).

Boil the sauce for a few minutes until it thickens up to a consistency you like.

Add the meat back to the sauce along with the pearl onions. Heat it all up.

Serve, along with French bread, rice or mashed potatoes to soak up the delicious sauce.

Braised Short Ribs

Recipe adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

5 to 6 lbs beef short ribs, fat trimmed off
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme 

4 whole sprigs thyme
1 Tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups port
2 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup hearty red wine
6 cups + 1/2 cup beef stock
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 package frozen pearl onions, defrosted

1 Tbsp butter

1.    Season the short ribs with 1 tablespoon thyme and the cracked black pepper. Use your hands to rub the spices into the meat. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

2.    Take the short ribs out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking, to come to room temperature. After 30 minutes, season them generously on all sides with salt.

3.    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

4.    Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat for 3 minutes. Pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil, and wait a minute or two, until the pan is very hot and almost smoking. Place the short ribs in the pan, and sear until they are nicely browned on all three meaty sides. If necessary, sear the meat in batches. Do not crowd the meat or rush this step. When the ribs are nicely browned, transfer them to a plate to rest.

5.    Turn the heat down to medium, and add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme springs, and bay leaves. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the crusty bits in the pan. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to caramelize. Add the balsamic vinegar, port, and red wine. Turn the heat up to high, and reduce the liquid by half.

6.    Add the stock and bring to a boil. Arrange ribs in the pot, lying flat, in one layer. The stock mixture should almost cover the ribs. Tuck the parsley sprigs in and around the meat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Braise in the oven for about 3 hours. When the meat is done, it will yield easily to a knife.

7.    While the meat is cooking, put the defrosted pearl onions, 1/2 cup red wine, 1/2 cup beef broth and 1 tablespoon butter into a sauté pan. Bring the liquid to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until the liquid has reduced down to a glaze coating the onions. (Sorry, I forgot to photograph this step!)

8.    Once the ribs are done cooking, let them rest 10 minutes in their juices. Then transfer them to a baking sheet.

9.    Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the pot. Blend the vegetables into the sauce with an immersion blender. (Or transfer to a blender and then pour the pureed sauce back into the Dutch oven). If the broth seems thin, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce it until it reaches a consistency you like. Taste for salt and pepper.

10. Add the ribs and pearl onions back to the sauce. Reheat and serve.

Serves 6

Weeknight Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce

  

Yikes. It's only January and I'm already behind. I thought I had things under control. December ended pretty quietly. We celebrated Christmas in New Jersey at my parents' house. Then we came back up to Boston for the last few days of winter vacation. We assembled some Ikea bookshelves. Went through piles of paperwork. Did loads and load of laundry. I even cleaned the humidifiers for God's sake.

But then it was January 2nd. And school started up. And work. And after-school activities. And before I knew it, it was January 7th and I hadn't managed to update my blog.

So really, this recipe fits right in with my current state of mind. I want to slow down. But I just don't have time.

This recipe is a fast take on a traditionally slow-cooked meal. A proper Bolognese simmers on the stove for hours. Over all that time, the onions, carrots, celery and ground beef melt into the hearty wine and tomato sauce. A splash of milk tenderizes the whole thing. The resulting sauce is rich and creamy and very comforting.

This recipe comes pretty close. I mean, let's face it. You're not going to get the same sauce in 30 minutes that you would if you let it simmer for four hours. So if you have four hours, make a traditional Bolognese. But if you don't -- if, like me, you want to come home on a Monday evening and have some pasta with a sauce that's close enough to a real Bolognese -- then make this. You won't regret it. And maybe you'll even have time left over to knock something else off your To Do list.

Cook beef until it starts to brown.

Add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. (I accidentally added the tomato paste here too, but it all turned out alright.)

Stir until well combined.

Add wine.

Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper. This is where I should have added the tomato paste. Bring to a boil and simmer.

Once you've got your pasta boiling, finish the sauce. Add basil.

Then heavy cream.

And give it all a good stir.

Add the cooked pasta.

Stir the pasta into the sauce. Add a handful of grated Parmesan.

Buon appetito!

Weeknight Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce

Recipe by The Barefoot Contessa

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb lean ground sirloin

4 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

2 Tbsp tomato paste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 lb dried pasta

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.    Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute.

2.    Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined.

3.    Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

4.    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt and the pasta. Cook according to the directions on the box.

5.    While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining 1/4 cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

6.    When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan and toss well.

7.    Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

Serves 4 to 5

Beef Bourguignon

Our May 2012 Daring Cooks’ hostess was Fabi of fabsfood. Fabi challenged us
to make Boeuf Bourguignon, a classic French stew originating from the Burgundy region of France.

A few years ago, when my son was in preschool, his teacher asked him what he'd eaten for dinner the night before. As his teacher laughingly recounted to me, my then 4-year old turned to her and said, "Beef Bourguignon!"

So this isn't the first time I've made this dish. But it's something I'm happy to make again and again.

If you've never made beef Bourguignon, I urge you to try. And not just any recipe. This recipe. Julia Child's recipe. 

Yes, it's a little daunting. And a little time-, effort- (and saucepan-) consuming. But it's worth it. Because by making the effort to render the bacon fat, pat the meat cubes dry, braise the onions, sauté the mushrooms, and wait patiently for the whole thing to cook up, you are rewarded with the best possible version of this dish. You end up with meat that's flavorful and fork tender. With tasty mushrooms and tender onions. And the pièce de résistance — a rich, thick, complex, glossy sauce that has layers and layers of flavor.

I started with a large piece of beef.

Then cut it into cubes.

Pat the meat cubes dry with a paper towel. This is an important step that helps the meat to brown nicely.

Fry the bacon until it crisps up. Remove the bacon but leave the fat in the pan.

Add the beef to the fat, a few pieces at a time.

Sear the beef until it's golden brown on all sides.

Once all the beef has been seared, set it aside. In the same pan, brown the carrots and onions.

Add the beef back to the pan. Season with salt, pepper and flour and put the pan in a hot oven for 4 minutes.

Take it out, toss the beef around, then put it back in the oven for another 4 minutes. This browns the flour and gives the meat a light crust.

Put the pan back on the stove. Add the wine, broth and tomato paste. Then add the garlic and herbs. Bring it to a simmer.

Put the cover on the pan then let it simmer gently in the oven for a few hours until the meat is tender.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Peel the onions.

Brown them in a mixture of butter and olive oil.

Then let them simmer away in beef stock until they are tender but still intact.

For the mushrooms, heat them on high heat in a mixture of butter and olive oil.

Cook until golden brown.

Remove the stew from the oven when the meat is tender. It will look like this.

Now pour the stew into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Clean out your Dutch oven or whatever pan you cooked the stew in. Then put the meat and veggies right back in. Add the onions and carrots to the pan too.

Simmer your sauce until it thickens to the proper consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Pour it over the meat and veggies.

Serve in a large bowl with a slice of good bread to soak up the sauce. Bon appétit!

Beef Bourguignon

Recipe very slightly adapted from Julia Child in Mastering the Art of French Cooking

6 oz streaky bacon

1 Tbsp Olive oil

3 lbs stewing beef cut into 2 inches cubes (rump pot roast is best)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp flour

3 cups young red wine (Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Chianti —

a good wine, but not necessarily an expensive one)

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 to 3 cups beef stock

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

½ tsp thyme leaves (I added extra)

1 bay leaf

the blanched bacon rind

18-24 small onions, brown-braised in stock (see recipe, below)

1 lb mushrooms, sautéed in butter (see recipe, below)

Fresh parsley sprigs to serve

1.    Prepare the bacon. If necessary, remove the rind. Cut the bacon into lardons (sticks, ¼ inch thick and ½ inch long). Simmer everything in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes. Drain and dry carefully with paper towels. (Okay, I admit it, I didn't blanch the bacon. I did the first time I made this dish and honestly, I didn't think it made much difference.)

2.    Dry the meat cubes carefully with paper towels.

3.    Preheat oven to 450º F.

4.    In a Dutch oven, sauté the bacon lardons in a tablespoon of olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes until they’re lightly browned. Remove them to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

5.     In the same pan, add the beef, a few pieces at a time. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan or the beef will steam, not sear. Sauté the beef until it’s golden brown on all sides. Remove beef and set aside.

6.    In the same pan, lightly brown the carrot and the onion.

7.    Return the beef to the casserole. Toss with the salt and pepper, then add the flour and toss again to lightly coat the beef with the flour.

8.    Set Dutch oven uncovered in the middle position of the oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to the oven for 4 more minutes. This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.

9.    Remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven down to 325 º F.

10. Stir in the wine, and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and blanched bacon.

11.  Bring it to a simmer on the stove.

12.  Cover the pan and set it in the lower third of the oven. Adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

13.  While the stew is cooking, prepare onions and mushrooms. (See below).

14.  When the meat is tender, pour the stew into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Put the onions and mushrooms over the meat.

15.  Skim the fat off the sauce in the saucepan. Simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If the sauce is too thick, stir in some stock to thin it out.

16.  Carefully taste the sauce for seasoning. When it's right, pour the sauce over the stew. Put the pan on the stove or in the oven and reheat for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley.

17.  Serve with good French bread for dipping. Potatoes, noodles or rice are also good accompaniments.

Brown-braised Onions:

18-24 small onions, peeled (I used cipolline)

1 1/2 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup beef broth

salt

pepper

1.    Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

2.    When the butter and oil are bubbling, add the onions and sauté them for 10 minutes, rolling the onions around so they brown as evenly as possible.

3.    Pour in the beef broth, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape.

4.    Discard remaining liquid.

Sautéed Mushrooms:

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and quartered (I used crimini)

salt

1.    Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over high heat.

2.    As soon as the butter foam begins to subside, add the mushrooms.

3.    Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as the mushrooms have browned lightly, remove from heat then season with salt.

Serves 6