Monday, April 13, 2009

memphis-style meatballs

I may be a vegetarian, but I am from Memphis - the bar-b-que capital of the world. So that, combined with the fact that I live with a carnivore, means I am always looking for new things to bar-b-que. Last night we tried something new - meatballs. The carnivore made his from scratch using 1lb. of ground sirloin and 1 lb. of lamb (but any ground meat will do). He added the usual fixins like italian bread crumbs, an egg, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, etc. and formed them into generous balls. I used a meatless version that I found in the freezer section of the grocery store. He grilled his meatballs outdoors on a sheet pan covered in foil at 250 degrees for about an hour, only basting them with bar-b-que sauce (we use cattleman's) near the end. I defrosted mine in the fridge all day and then heated them in a pan with olive oil, chopped squash (a veggie I love but the carnivore doesn't so much), salt and pepper. I tossed the mixture in a bowl with bar-b-que sauce at the end. We then serve them over a bed of white rice. Brown would work too though. They were delicious and I got my bar-b-que fix!

menu ideas:
Serve these magnificent meatballs over rice and with a side of green beans. You can even add a salad if you are lucky enough to have a carnivore who eats lettuce. They could even make a nice appetizer. Just stick toothpicks in them and serve on separate trays for vegetarians and carnivores.

4 comments:

  1. What a great idea of cooking the balls over the bbq, I will have to try that next time for sure!!

    How did the veggie balls taste?

    Jenifer

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  2. they worked out well, although they did fall apart some (not that I minded!)...

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  3. This looks like a wonderful appetizer or even enjoyed as a main dish!

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  4. i hadn't even thought of them as an appetizer, but that is a great idea. you could just stick toothpicks in them. separate trays for the meat and soy of course!

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