Baby MAMA
This post is for all the single mother’s trying to survive in a world that doesn’t love them. A world that has shunned them continuously. A world expecting the job of two to lie within you. A world never giving you enough credit for your advancements but always faulting you for your losses. This post is for the long nights, the lonely cries, the weight that stays on your shoulder and selflessness you create in order to maintain. Someone, from the outside looking in, would call you strong and that’d be half the truth; yes, you’re strong, but you’re much more than that. You’re human. You’re a mother. You’re someone’s child. Your humanity will never leave you in my eyes although it does in others. I’m hoping you have those nightly cries and moments of high-functional stress; I’m hoping you get your emotional release. You need it. I’m hoping you get your romance and relief cause you need that as well. Like my mom and so many others, you all had to sacrifice everything to uplift and raise your child/children. I’m thankful for my mom and the impact she’s continued to have on my life. I’m thankful for all the other single mother’s that helped raised me. I could never repay you in this lifetime or the next, but I thought this post would at least pay some respect. God Bless.
baby shower meatballs (korean bbq style)
ingredients
meatballs:
2lbs. ground beef (20% lean)
1lb. ground pork
4-5 sprigs of fresh parsley, finely chopped
6-10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
8oz. pancetta
1/2 white onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2c bread crumbs OR Panade (4 slices of white bread with crust removed, 1/2c buttermilk and 1T heavy cream)
2T pine nuts, toasted
zest of 1 lemon
2T chicken bouillon
1T calabrian peppers
2t paprika
2t oregano
2 whole eggs
2T parmigiano reggiano, grated
2T pecorino, grated
salt & pepper to taste
optional: 1T msg
optional: thinly sliced green onion and sesame seeds for garnish
korean bbq sauce:
2 1/4c kethcup
1/4c gochujang (Trader Joe’s!)
3T grape jelly
2T dark brown sugar
2T hot sauce of choice
1T chili powder
1T worcestershire sauce
1T garlic powder
1T onion powder
1T smoked paprika
1T italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
optional: 1T msg
helpful items:
small/medium/large size skillet/pot
parchment paper
microplane grater
wooden spoon
whisk
small/medium/large bowls
large rimmed baking sheet
food processor
food scale
meat thermometer
biscuit cutter
recipe (meatballs):
Set oven to 425F
Add bread crumbs to bowl OR add white bread, heavy cream and buttermilk to bowl and mix together with hands or whisk until homogenous to make the panade. It should be batter-like. Set aside.
In a pan set to medium high, add parsley, basil, onions, garlic and lemon zest. Cook until fragrant without burning. Set aside.
In another pan set to medium high, add pine nuts. Cook until browned or slightly toasted. Set aside.
Add pine nuts, pancetta, pecorino, parmigiano reggiano, chicken bouillon, calabrian peppers and onion-parsley mixture from step three into food processor and blend until paste is form. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add food processor mix from step 5, bread crumbs OR panade, oregano, paprika and eggs. Mix with hands or wooden spoon.
Take a small amount of the meat mixture, form into a patty and cook in small pan to taste seasoning levels. Add salt & pepper and msg to mix and repeat cooking/tasting process until satisfied (see below in photos).
Note: I ended up adding about 1T of MSG, 2T of salt and 1T of black pepper to mine before satisfaction.
In a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add 45-55g meatballs ( I was able to fit 15) and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to help meatballs keep form. It really does help.
Note: The meatballs need to be near the same size in order to have even cooking!!!
Take meatballs out of fridge and place in oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes OR until internal temperature reaches 165F. The oven can then be set to broil high to allow them to brown a bit OR you can brown them in pan.
Note: I allowed my meatballs to mostly brown in pan after baking. This allowed me to eyeball the level of crispness. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can take a meatball out the oven and slice in half to check readiness. Be careful!
recipe (korean bbq sauce):
In a cold medium size pot, add ketchup, gochujang, brown sugar, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, grape jelly, worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika and italian seasoning. Set temp to medium high and stir sauce continuously until simmer is reached. Taste and add salt & pepper and msg until satisfied.
recipe (the final):
In a large skillet, add meatballs from rimmed baking sheet and sauce together. Set to medium high and cook until sauce as adhered to the meatballs. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve while hot. Enjoy!
BONUS RECIPE (pre-made breakfast sausage):
With the leftover meatball mix, place and flatten into a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the flatten meatball mix and place another rimmed baking sheet on top. Place pans into fridge for 15 minutes.
Take pans out of fridge and remove top parchment paper. With a 3.1” biscuit cutter or cup (size of choice), cut circular patties out of meat mix. Place circular patties on parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and place into freezer for 1 hour.
After patties are frozen, place patties into freezer safe bag for later usage. Enjoy!
BONUS
