In the vast culinary landscape of Eastern Europe, meatballs hold a cherished place, with each country boasting its own unique take on this delectable dish. These savory orbs of minced meat, often seasoned with an array of aromatic herbs and spices, are a testament to the region's rich cultural heritage and diverse flavors. Whether you prefer the hearty comfort of Serbian ćevapčići, the tangy delight of Romanian mititei, or the delicate finesse of Ukrainian meatballs, this article will guide you through a culinary journey to discover the best recipe that suits your palate and brings the authentic taste of Eastern Europe to your kitchen.
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
EASY MEATBALLS
My husband makes these easy meatballs with simple ingredients like eggs, panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, and fresh basil, and they come out flavorful and delicious every time! Kids love them too! If desired, add the cooked meatballs to your favorite sauce until submerged (this brings out the moistness).
Provided by Love2Cook
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 25m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Mix eggs, Italian seasoning, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a large bowl. Add beef and panko bread crumbs and mix thoroughly.
- Shape mixture into about forty 1 1/2-inch balls, a little smaller than golf balls, using a teaspoon. Place on ungreased, rimmed baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the centers, turning halfway through cooking time, 10 to 15 minutes total.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 245.4 calories, Carbohydrate 5.9 g, Cholesterol 117.5 mg, Fat 15.3 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 21.6 g, SaturatedFat 5.9 g, Sodium 406.9 mg, Sugar 0.2 g
EAST EUROPEAN MEATBALLS
This is my recipe for meatballs that I've put together after experimenting with various ingredients. All those who had these found them yummy. I hope you will too. It works as an appetizer (on their own), or as a main course (served with mashed potatoes, pasta and a tomato based or creamy sauce).
Provided by TarragonBoy
Categories Meatballs
Time 40m
Yield 36 meatballs, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Chop the onions finely. Put a little canola oil in a pan, turn the heat to medium. When the oil is hot, add the onions and a pinch of salt, turn down the heat to low-medium and saute, covered, for about 10 mins, until yellow and soft. Simmer from time to time.
- Remove the onions from the pan, and put on a bowl to cool down.
- Grate the carrot using the coarse side of the grater. Squeeze well between your palms afterwards, to get rid of all the water.
- Grate the potatoes using the fine side of the grater. Squeeze well between your palms afterwards.
- Dunk the slices of bread (crust removed) in a little milk for 3 seconds and then squeeze well between palms to get rid of all the liquid.
- Mince the garlic cloves (you can remove the germs if you wish - in this way, the garlic smell won't stay with you 2 days afterwards).
- Remove the leaves from the parsley and dill, and finely chop them.
- Put the minced meat, potatoes, carrot, eggs, garlic, onion, bread slices, dill, parsley, bread crumbs, pepper in a large bowl. Mix everything together (with your hands or mixer). Add 1/2 Tbs salt, mix, and taste the composition. Add another 1/2 Tbs salt if you think it's needed. I normally put 1 Tbsp salt in total. Also, of course, you can add more pepper if you like it more spicy.
- Press the mixture against the pan and 'pat' it slightly with you hands to look uniform. Then cover the bowl and let the mixture rest in the fridge for 1 hour. This will firm up the mixture.
- Remove the mixture from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
- Take 1 heaped Tblsp of mixture at a time, and with your hands wet, form the meatballs. Place the meatballs on a plate.
- In a deep medium sized frying pan, put canola oil until it's about 1.5 inches in height. Let the oil heat up on a medium-high heat. It's important that the pan is not too wide, so that the oil inside is quite deep in order to cover the meatballs well from all sides when cooking.
- When the oil is hot, turn down the heat to medium, and put the meatballs in the pan. Fry on one side for 4 mins, then turn on the other side, fry for 4 mins, then 1 min again on each side.
- Remove the meatballs from the pan and place on a paper towel to absorb the oil.
- That's it! I hope you'll like :).
EAST-EUROPEAN MEATBALLS
A delicious recipe that goes perfectly with pasta and tomato sauce, with green peas sautee, or just as a simple appetizer when you need to entertain a big bunch of people - just stick some toothpicks in them on a tray.
Provided by Ramo-san
Categories Pork
Time 55m
Yield 10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- (you will need more than those 75ml oil. Those 75ml are about the quantity that gets absorbed in the process and therefore will be part of the nutrition info).
- Soak the bread in water (or milk) and the crush it into small crumbs.
- Mix together in a big bowl, by hand: the meat, the onion, the potato, the garlic, the bread and the egg (raw).
- Add salt and pepper to taste then add 2 teaspoons of paprika.
- Mix until homogenous.
- Oil hands and make small balls out of the meat mix (about 2. 5-3cm (1") in diameter).
- In a big cast-iron pan, pour sunflower oil to cover the pan bottom about 1cm (1/2") and heat it on medium high heat (level 6).
- When hot, roll the meatballs one by one through the flour and place them in the pan.
- Do not overcrowd the pan, as you will need space to turn the meatballs around.
- Turn the heat lower (to level 4-5) and keep an eye on the meatballs at all times as they can burn quickly.
- When they get a bit golden, turn them around.
- You will have to turn them at least 2 times until they are done (it will take about 15-20 minutes for one round).
- When done, they will have a light brown colour and they will be done on the inside too (you have to try them).
- Delish!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 260, Fat 17.9, SaturatedFat 5, Cholesterol 54.6, Sodium 73.3, Carbohydrate 13.6, Fiber 1.3, Sugar 0.8, Protein 10.9
MIDDLE EASTERN CUMIN MEATBALLS
These Middle Eastern meatballs with garlic and cumin are heavy on the garlic, so feel free to scale it down if you wish. We love it as is! The meatballs and sauce are perfect served over bulghur. Bulghur wheat can be found next to the rice in Middle Eastern markets and even some of the bigger grocery stores. Prepare it as you would rice.
Provided by Ani
Categories Main Dish Recipes Meatball Recipes
Time 35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Combine the ground beef, egg, garlic, bread crumbs, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well mixed. Roll the mixture into egg-sized balls, and set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs; cook until firm, and browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove meatballs from the skillet and pour out the fat.
- Bring the water to a boil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Add the cooked meatballs, and simmer in the tomato sauce for 5 to 10 minutes until completely cooked.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 483.5 calories, Carbohydrate 9.5 g, Cholesterol 165.1 mg, Fat 32.7 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 36.5 g, SaturatedFat 10.2 g, Sodium 632.3 mg, Sugar 2.3 g
MIDDLE EAST MEATBALLS WITH CHEESE
Provided by Craig Claiborne And Pierre Franey
Categories dinner, main course
Time 1h
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Bring enough water to the boil to cover the rice by at least half an inch above the top level of the rice. Add the rice and cook 15 minutes. Drain.
- Put the lamb in a mixing bowl and add the rice.
- Heat the butter in a small saucepan or skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook until wilted. Add this to the lamb mixture.
- Add the parsley, cheese, dill, salt and pepper to taste. Blend well with the hands.
- Shape the meat mixture into about 24 balls of equal shape. Roll each into an egg-shape patty about two inches long.
- Beat the eggs lightly and add the water. Coat the patties with the egg mixture, then roll in flour.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and add half the patties. Cook about five minutes, shaking the pan and turning the patties so that they cook evenly. Remove and drain on paper towels. Cook the second batch and drain. Put the meatballs into the tomato sauce and bring to the boil. Serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 545, UnsaturatedFat 25 grams, Carbohydrate 23 grams, Fat 41 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 20 grams, SaturatedFat 13 grams, Sodium 403 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- Choose the right meat: Beef, pork, and lamb are all popular choices for meatballs. You can also use a combination of meats, such as beef and pork, or beef and lamb.
- Grind the meat yourself: This will give you more control over the texture of the meatballs. If you don't have a meat grinder, you can ask your butcher to grind the meat for you.
- Season the meat thoroughly: Don't be afraid to use plenty of herbs and spices. Salt and pepper are essential, of course, but you can also add garlic, onion, paprika, cumin, or any other spices that you like.
- Use bread crumbs or rice to bind the meatballs: This will help to keep them moist and prevent them from falling apart.
- Form the meatballs into small, uniform shapes: This will help them to cook evenly.
- Brown the meatballs before simmering them: This will help to develop their flavor and give them a nice crust.
- Simmer the meatballs in a flavorful sauce: This will help to keep them moist and tender.
- Serve the meatballs with your favorite sides: Mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or vegetables are all good options.
Conclusion:
Meatballs are a versatile and delicious dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. They can be made with a variety of meats, spices, and sauces, so there's sure to be a recipe that everyone will enjoy. Whether you're serving them as an appetizer, main course, or snack, meatballs are sure to be a hit.
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