Number one because this is my first recipe post. (Wink)
Disclaimer: Backwoods comfort food enjoyment is not exclusive to rural areas. Enjoyment is not classified entirely by region.
So, just what concoction am I eventually going to write here?
Meatballs with boiled potatoes. I use tomato sauce, with oregano, chopped onions. It goes like this...
I cook for two, usually I use...
2lbs of lean ground beef (more or less depending on size/amount of meatballs)
Chopped onions -Optional (how much depends on personal preference. I use one half of an onion, diced up. This ensures that the meatballs have enough meat proportional to keep them held together while cooking. Too much onion and they fall apart easier.)
Mix in as much oregano as desired (while not going overboard) into the ground beef, along with chopped onions.
Form the meatballs. Mine are about two inches for even cooking.
Cook on medium heat, turning occasionally until browned. I use coconut oil for a healthier substitute for traditional oils.
Drain excess cooking oil. Mix in...
1 large can of tomato sauce -right in there on top of the meatballs. I add additional seasoning into the sauce. Oregano, or basil. 1/2 teaspoon. Not too much. Turn heat to medium-low, and then simmer once the sauce begins to boil.
POTATOES
Peel, and boil as many as needed. Boil until thoroughly cooked, but not so soft they turn into mash. I use a fork to poke them to see when they are just right. (Grandma level cooking technique -I learned from my grams)
Sometimes I put the extra meatball/tomato sauce on my potatoes, other times I add a little ranch dressing on them because I'm weird that way with ranch dressing.
Soul food baby. Fills you up real nice. Easy to make.
Add a little breadcrumb, chopped raisins and pignoli and an egg to the meat mixture. A little pecorino Romano wouldn't hurt either. I toast the pignoli first. If you can't get pignoli, pistachio or almonds cans work.
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That sounds good. I've always wondered what "soul food" actually was.
Quote from: Gertrude on November 16, 2017, 11:57:27 AM
Add a little breadcrumb, chopped raisins and pignoli and an egg to the meat mixture. A little pecorino Romano wouldn't hurt either. I toast the pignoli first. If you can't get pignoli, pistachio or almonds cans work.
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Raisin in meatballs? That's something I would never have thought of.
That all sounds really good and I'm going to try it. But to really put some soul into that meal you need to add a side of collard greens boiled with a generous piece salt pork or ham hock and optionally a couple of sliced jalapeños.
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Quote from: Deborah on November 16, 2017, 01:25:09 PM
That all sounds really good and I'm going to try it. But to really put some soul into that meal you need to add a side of collard greens boiled with a generous piece salt pork or ham hock and optionally a couple of sliced jalapeños.
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I 'm actually having collards as one of my thanksgiving sides. I always assumed collard greens would just be nasty. But the southern lady next door kept telling me they were good and to try them. She told me exactly how to cook them and it's easy enough, just time consuming. So I made some. I really liked them and my dad in brother totally loved them. I wasn't expecting them to like them. I was looking for a new side dish for thanksgiving and those are it. It's funny how so many southern recipies sound and look totally nasty but are actually really good.
Coconut oil instead of bacon grease? Blasphemy! Blasphemy, I say. :laugh:
Hugs, Devlyn
Quote from: Julia1996 on November 16, 2017, 12:00:49 PM
Raisin in meatballs? That's something I would never have thought of.
It's an Italian thing. It's not all pizza and spaghetti.
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Quote from: Devlyn Marie on November 16, 2017, 01:52:29 PM
Coconut oil instead of bacon grease? Blasphemy! Blasphemy, I say. :laugh:
Hugs, Devlyn
If I have a lot of them to make, I'll bake them. Otherwise I would use olive oil.
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Here we put elbow macaroni in the meatballs then put them in a sauce pan add tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes, season and cook it all in the one pan until meat is done and macaroni is tender. We have always called them porcupine balls.
Quote from: Laurie on November 16, 2017, 07:40:19 PM
Here we put elbow macaroni in the meatballs, add tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes and cook it all in the one pan until meat is done and macaroni is tender. We have always called them porcupine balls.
...but, but, how do they brown? There's no goodness without browning.
Also, you said porcupine balls....chuckle....snort...
Quote from: Devlyn Marie on November 16, 2017, 07:44:04 PM
...but, but, how do they brown? There's no goodness without browning.
Also, you said porcupine balls....chuckle....snort...
Sorry no browned balls in this meal. As for what we called it if you must know we really called them porkypine balls. Hey we were kids. Been eating them all my life.
Instead of macaroni, my mom always put rice in the porkypine balls.
Hi Dana,
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
I have never tried this recipe before but I like this recipe and I think it is very easy to prepare.
So I will definitely try this recipe at home.