Title: Mom's German Meatballs
Categories: Meat
Yield: 12 Servings
| 2 | lb | Ground beef |
| 2 | | Egg |
| 2 | ts | Salt |
| 1 | tb | Mustard seed |
| 1 | ts | Celery seed; whole |
| 1/2 | ts | Pepper |
| 3 | tb | Catsup |
| 2 | | Garlic cloves; sliced |
| 1/2 | | Onion; Med./small dice |
| | | Boiling water |
| | | Flour; for dredging |
| | | Fat; for cooking |
| FOR SAUCE |
| 1 | qt | Water |
| 1 | c | Catsup |
| 1 | tb | Flour |
| 4 | tb | Cornstartch |
| 1 | tb | Vinegar |
| 1 | tb | Sugar |
| 1 | ts | Salt |
| | | Pepper; to taste |
| | | Water; to make thin cream |
This is the recipe I promised to send. It is a bit of a task to prepare,
but well worth the effort. The recipe was passed down for many generations
in my husbands family who immigrated here from Russia (being Russian Jews)
so, I have no idea why they called it 'German' meatballs, but a meatball by
any other name...I guess! Put the garlic into a water glass and pour 2 T
boiling water over it. Mash the garlic well, then add 2 T. more boiling
water. Strain through a kitchen towel, saving the liquid only. Mix together
all the ingredients, including garlic liquid then shape into balls about
the size of a large egg. Roll the balls in the flour until well coated.
Melt enough fat to make about 1/2" in a heavy skillet or cast iron cooking
pot. Brown the meat balls in the fat. Remove the meatballs and pour off all
but 4 T. of the fat. Ingredients: SAUCE: Add the qt. of water to the
reserved fat along with thecatsup. Make a paste of the sauce ingredients,
stirring in the water to get a consistency of a thin cream. After the
water-catsup mixture is warm, slowly add this mixture, stirring constantly
to avoid lumping, until the mixture has been well absorbed into the liquid.
Cook gently until the sauce is slightly thickened. Place meatball in the
pan, or in an oven-proof roaster and make sure they are covered with the
sauce. Cover pan and bake in hot oven for 1 hour. Serve with mashed
potatoes. (My friends also love it with pasta or rice!) Enjoy! Barb