Two Cooking Discoveries

[browngirl]

Which I wanted to note down.

Cook's Illustrated had a recent recipe that called for ground meat, and described how to get good results using a food processor: cut the meat into 1-inch chunks and freeze until "very firm and hardening around the edges but still pliable, 15-25 minutes." Then grind in half-pound batches, using 1-second pulses.

So, I wanted to make meatballs, and we had steak tips on hand (at Costco they are a good compromise between quality and dimunition of price), so I tried this, and it worked beautifully. It took about 10 pulses per batch, and though the meat needed a little picking-over for the occasional shred of gristle, the results had a lovely texture, neither unevenly chunky nor pasty. The meatballs are tender, beefy, and delicious.

My meatball recipe, modified from Alton Brown's:

1 pound ground beef (if grinding it oneself, grind the porcini mushrooms before grinding the meat)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I used panko, because we have them)
1 clove raw or 4 cloves roasted garlic, put through a press
1 tsp italian spice mix (I used a combination of a few Penzey's mixes)
1/8 tsp hot pepper flakes or cayenne pepper or whatever
1 tsp dried basil (or 1 tbsp chopped fresh; go easy on the water)
4-6 slices dried porcini, ground to a powder in the food processor
1-2 tbsp cold water or chicken stock
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped spinach

Grease two mini-muffin pans.

Mix all of the above well with one hand. Using a spoon or a disher (aka, small ice cream scoop) make 24 meatballs and put them in the minimuffin pans. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

I've been seeking the flavors of my youth recently, I dunno why. So, I set out to recreate Jamaican Easter Bun, which is despite its name, eaten all year round. My first efforts were crumbly, rather than the chewy-yet-tender I remember from my childhood, so most recently I set a timer and beat the batter vigorously for 60 seconds before I stirred in the raisins.

I made muffins, and ate one. It didn't taste 'right' yet, so I've doused the rest with alcohol and wrapped them in plastic wrap in order to age them like their cousins the fruitcakes, but it tasted, and felt, much closer to what I recall. Yum. :)

Easter Bun
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 tablespoon browning (optional; I leave it out)
1 cup milk (I used buttermilk)
2 tablespoon melted margarine
raisins and mixed peel (I used 1/2 tsp each orange and lemon peel, and 1/2 cup raisins)
2 teaspoons mixed spice (baking/apple pie/pumpkin pie/whatnot)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Dump all into a bowl, stir until combined, then beat as vigorously as you can for 30-60 seconds, depending on how strong you are. Bake in whatever pan/shape you desire at 350 degrees until the proverbial inserted knife comes out clean. (I forget how long the muffins took; it was pretty standard.)

It was good fresh, but I think these will be better after being moistened with a tablespoon or so of brandy per muffin, wrapped in plastic, and left alone for a couple of weeks.

Comments

[flabosib.livejournal.com]

It all sounds yummy.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Cooking is such a fun hobby. :D

[libitina]

Would that ground meat technique work with poultry as well? Or is that too delicate?

Oh Alton! Those meatballs are nothing like my mother's meatballs, but they sound jam packed with goodness and nutritious tastiness.

Good luck with the muffins - I have no advice on baking, but I am sure you'll scientific method the proper results out.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I don't see why it wouldn't work with poultry, which is even more prone to being mashed rather than ground by the food processor. I haven't tried it yet, though.

[awfief.livejournal.com]

http://www.limenviolet.com/blog/?p=3434#more-3434

might help with the texture -- maybe doing as they say, combining wet and dry ingredients together first then combining?

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Actually, the muffin method they describe, the one you have suggested, gives the light and fluffy-crumbly results that one wants in 99 out of a 100 batches of muffins, that I got with my first batch. It's just not what I want for *these* muffins. Thank you for the suggestion, though. :)

[awfief.livejournal.com]

No problem......liquor-soaked sounded more fun anyway.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

You made your own ground meat? Pretty cool.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

One of the neat things about the method is the loose, open texture of the meat, and its different, crumblier-in-a-good-way mouthfeel when eaten.