Weekly recipes for February 1, 2012

Spicy Pork Meatballs

Prep: 30 minutes. Cook: 20 minutes. Makes: 24 meatballs.

2 pounds pork shoulder, ground
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
4 jarred hot cherry peppers, minced
1/4 cup hot cherry pepper pickling liquid
4 slices fresh white bread, finely chopped
3 large eggs

Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, mix pork, salt, cherry peppers, pickling liquid, bread and eggs by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Roll into golf ball-sized meatballs, packing the meat firmly. Place the balls in a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dish touching one another. Bake until firm and cooked through, 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving. Serve on a baguette as a sub, or plate on a bed of creamy polenta; spoon on a spicy meat sauce.

-- From The Meatball Shop Cookbook, Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow (Ballantine, $28)

Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs

Prep: 30 minutes. Chill: 15 minutes. Cook: 15 minutes. Makes: 20 meatballs

Meatballs:

1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 large egg, beaten
1 green onion, minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 piece (1-inch long) ginger, peeled, shredded
1 tablespoon Japanese-style soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 quarter-size pieces fresh ginger, crushed
Serve with rice

Teriyaki sauce:

2/3 cup each: Japanese-style soy sauce, mirin
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 green onions, minced

For the meatballs, mix chicken, panko, egg, green onion, cornstarch, shredded ginger, soy sauce, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Cover; refrigerate at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours. Heat a large saucepan of water and the sliced ginger to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer. Using wet hands rinsed under cold water, shape the chicken mixture into 20 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches each. Carefully add to the saucepan. Simmer until cooked through, about 6 minutes.

For the teriyaki sauce, heat the soy sauce, mirin, sugar and rice vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Boil until thickened and reduced to about 2/3 cup, 5 minutes. Remove balls from cooking liquid; drain.

Serve over rice, drizzle with the sauce and garnish with green onions.

-- From I Love Meatballs! (Andrews McMeel, $19.99), by Rick Rodgers

Greek Minted Meatballs (Keftedes)

Prep: 50 minutes. Cook: 30 minutes. Makes: 6 to 8 servings, about 70 meatballs.

1 cup fine breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound each: ground beef round, ground lamb shoulder
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Combine the breadcrumbs and 1 cup half-and-half in a small bowl; let soak, 5 minutes. Meanwhile melt butter in a skillet over moderate heat. Add onions and garlic; cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; add the soaked bread crumbs plus the meats. Mix with hands until well-blended. Add the remaining 1/2 cup half-and-half, eggs, cinnamon, half of the mint, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Form into 1-inch balls. Bake on foil-lined rimmed baking sheets until slightly brown, 20-25 minutes; serve topped with the remaining mint.

-- From James Villas' From the Ground Up: Hundreds of Amazing Recipes From Around the World for Ground Meats (Wiley, $22.99)