Lemon Meat Balls

On the prowl for something new and different (and that would make ample leftovers during a busy set of work weeks), I cracked open a hardly-used cookbook: The Ground Meat Cookbook. I know, the title sounds a little sketchy. That’s partially why I hadn’t braved it yet (except for the Petit Ham Puffs). But my friends and relatives will tell you that the quickest way to my heart is by flavoring something with lemon, so when I found this recipe, I decided the time had come to give this book another chance.

Lemon Meat Balls

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

½ C grated cheddar cheese

½ C plain bread crumbs

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp salt

½ tsp MSG

¼ tsp pepper

1 ½ C tomato juice

1 ¼ C hot water

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp water

Combine meat, egg, cheese, bread crumbs, and seasonings in a large bowl. Shape into balls. Here the recipe says to coat the meatballs lightly in flour and fry them in fat in a pan, but that seemed excessive. Instead, I just recommend browning them in the pan – the meat has enough fat on its own for a nice carmelization.

Add meatballs to skillet and brown over medium heat, turning occasionally to brown on all sides. Remove from heat and slowly add a mixture of tomato juice and hot water. Return to heat, cover and simmer about 40 minutes, turning meatballs occasionally. That was the end of the recipe. No, really, the book says nothing whatsoever about serving suggestions or what to do with the runny cooking liquid. Not wanting to waste it, I devised my own plan. I removed all of the meatballs from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon and left them on a plate. I mixed water and flour together in a screw-top jar and then mixed that into the cooking liquid with a whisk, heating until the sauce was thick. I re-added the meatballs and heated them through, then served them with the sauce over rice.

My husband’s review of this was: “Oh, this is good. We could totally have this again. We could even make this if we have people over.” ‘Nough said. The lemon and parsley gave the meatballs a delightful freshness, and the sauce was very tasty with the tomato juice base. Like he said, we will definitely enjoy this again, and you should try it, too!

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!