Versatile meatballs not just for pasta

Meatballs begin with ground meat, which is traditionally made from the parts of an animal that aren’t otherwise easy to eat. In other words, the cheaper cuts.

But the glory of peasant food is that cooks developed clever ways to bring tremendous flavor to the foods that wealthier people did not want to eat. And so the world has benefited with a host of wonderful stews, tagines, congees — and meatballs.

As with many foods of humble origins, meatballs have long been co-opted by the rest of the world; they now appear on the menus of the trendiest restaurants, often as an appetizer or a small plate. They aren’t just for spaghetti anymore.

In fact, they never were for spaghetti, at least not in Italy. Although Italians are fond of their home-cooked meatballs called polpettes, they are never served with spaghetti, except to American tourists.

And meatballs aren’t even just Italian. Swedish meatballs are well known, of course, but just about every cuisine has its own variation on the idea.

I decided to make three types of meatballs: Chinese, Spanish and one that my wife created, so I’m going to call it American.

Meatballs in Almond Sauce

Yield: 4 to 6 servings. Recipe from “The Food of Spain,” by Claudia Roden.

1 large egg

1 pound ground pork or veal, or 1/2 pound of each

5 slices firm white sandwich bread, crusts removed, divided

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

5 or 6 garlic cloves, divided

Flour for dredging

Olive or sunflower oil for frying

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup fruity dry white wine

A good pinch of saffron threads

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/4 cup blanched whole or slivered almonds

3 tablespoons olive oil

For the meatballs: Lightly beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the meat. Soak 4 of the crustless slices of bread in water, squeeze them dry and add them to the bowl with the meat, mashing it all together with your fingers until the bread is blended with the pork. Add the onion, parsley, salt and pepper to taste (but do not taste raw pork). Mash and mince 2 of the cloves of garlic to a paste and add to the bowl. Work mixture with your hands into a soft, well-blended paste. Shape into balls the size of large walnuts and roll in plenty of flour.

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a wide skillet until it sizzles when you throw in a small piece of bread. Add the meatballs, in batches, and fry briefly, turning to brown them all over; then lift them out with a perforated skimmer and drain them on paper towels. They do not need to be cooked through, as they will cook further in the sauce.

For the sauce: Pour the stock and wine into a wide skillet and bring to a boil. Add the saffron, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste and the sugar.

Fry the remaining 1 slice of bread, almonds and remaining 3 or 4 garlic cloves in 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet until golden brown. Lift them out and let cool a little, then grind to a paste in a mortar and pestle or food processor. Stir this paste into the sauce.

Add the meatballs and simmer, covered, over very low heat, turning once, for about 20 minutes, until cooked through. Add a little water if necessary.

Per serving (based on 6): 487 calories; 33 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 87 mg cholesterol; 19 g protein; 23 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; 2 g fiber; 619 mg sodium; 77 mg calcium

Chicken Meatballs

Yield: 4 servings. Recipe by Mary Anne Pikrone.

1 tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

6 to 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley

1 pound ground chicken or turkey

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, preferably Parmagiano-Reggiano

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup dry white wine

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium or large skillet and sauté mushrooms and onion until mushrooms have given up their liquid and onion is translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

Chop garlic and parsley together until reduced in bulk by half, but you can still see pieces of leaves; do not chop until it becomes a paste. Place in a bowl with the chicken and add the mushroom mixture; mix and squeeze with hands until combined. Add Parmesan, milk, egg and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper, and mix with hands until thoroughly combined.

Form into 12 meatballs. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow them to set.

Heat a skillet (or two) over medium-high heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil (or 2 teaspoons into each). When hot, add 6 of the meatballs (or 6 to each pan), making sure they do not touch. Fry, turning frequently, until brown on all sides; they will flatten on their sides because they are so soft.

Add 1/4 cup of the wine to the pan, or to each pan, cover, and simmer until done, about 15 minutes. You may need to add more wine if it all boils away; you should have a tablespoon or two of rich wine sauce on the bottom.

Remove to a platter. If you are only using 1 skillet, repeat steps 4 and 5 for the other half of the meatballs.

Serve by themselves, with pasta and olive oil, garlic and Parmesan, or with a tomato sauce.

Per serving: 448 calories; 31 g fat; 7 g saturated fat; 150 mg cholesterol; 30 g protein; 14 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; 2 g fiber; 340 mg sodium; 20 mg calcium

Lion’s Head (Chinese Meatballs)

Yield: 8 servings. Recipe from “The Best of Craig Claiborne,” by Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey

8 dried black mushrooms

11/4 pounds ground pork

20 water chestnuts, finely diced

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger

3 scallions, chopped

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

Grated rind of 1 orange

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Vegetable oil (or peanut or corn oil) for deep frying

Steamed spinach or broccoli, optional

Place the mushrooms in a mixing bowl and add hot water to cover. Let stand 20 minutes or longer until softened.

Place the pork in a mixing bowl. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze dry. Chop them. Add them to the pork. Add the water chestnuts, ginger, scallions, garlic, grated orange rind, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce, salt and cornstarch. Mix well and shape into 8 to 12 balls.

Heat the oil for deep frying and add the meatballs in batches, if necessary. Deep fry until crisp and golden on the outside. Drain well. Place the meatballs in a steamer and steam for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve on a bed of spinach or broccoli.

Per serving: 258 calories; 20 g fat; 11 g saturated fat; 48 mg cholesterol; 13 g protein; 6 g carbohydrate; 1 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 406 mg sodium; 15 mg calcium