I had some turkey meat, herbs, and corn on the cob in the frig that I needed to use up before our trip to Los Barriles. I love must-go dinners… I feel like I’m a solo contested on Chopped. Except I don’t have to incorporate gummy bears or finish in 30 minutes… If that was the case, I would be fucked. More importantly, it gives me some parameters on what I am going to make since I tend to get off into the weeds if I can just make whatever I want. Plus, it’s kind of like a little challenge and pushes me to be a bit creative.
Headed to Lazy Archers for some overpriced groceries… However, I will say this trip was probably close to a personal best. I got out of there for under 30 bucks.
Lora asked on my walk home if I bought two avocados and some Cilantro, haha! Yeah basically!
She also happened to ask what I was making… when I told her I was hit with this…
Lora: “So… that sounds good to you?!?!?”
In my head: “Ouch… well, that was honest… maybe I am missing the mark with this one… Oh right! I just had food poisoning and decided to make curry for my first meal back to eating real food. She might have a point here and wasn’t being an ass.”
Me: Probably not the smartest decision I have ever made.
I ended up being just fine, btw. And the food poisoning was not my fault; it was from takeout.
Recipe Supplies:
Meatballs:
- Ground Turkey meat (1 lbs)
- Ground Pork (1 lbs)
- Panko (maybe 2/3s cup… if the balls are too wet a bit more)
- Egg 2 (1.5 would be perfect but I didn’t want to waste anything)
- Cilantro (1/3 a bushel)
- Mint (10-15 leaves)
- Basil (10-15 leaves)
- Red Onion (about 1/4 to a 1/3 of medium size)
- Jalapeno (1 no seeds)
- Cayenne (decent amount depending on how spicy you like stuff)
- Salt and Pepper (generous to season meat… not to taste here)
Sauce:
- Coconut Cream (2/3 a can)
- Red Curry (I use this stuff… Thai Kitchen Gluten Free Red Curry Paste – 4 Oz)
- Beef Broth (about a cup but use judgment when cooking)
- Kerrygold Butter (like a tablespoon or so)
- EVOO (couple splashed in the pan)
- Shitake mushrooms (about a handful sliced with no stems)
- Yellow Onion (1/2 of a smaller one)
- Garlic (about 5-8 cloves)
- Lemon, or a lime… I just happened to have a lemon. Lime is probably better.
- Basil (like 15-20 leaves)
- Mint (same)
- Cilantro (2/3 a bushel)
- Salt (to taste)
Making the Meatballs:
First, make the meatballs and preheat your oven to 350 degrees (if yours is as slow as hell as my bigger one is).
To make the meatballs, chop all the cilantro, mint, basil, and onion very finely. Then, mix in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
Get a cookie sheet and line with tinfoil so that you don’t piss off your spouse when they have to clean the kitchen after you are done cooking dinner. Insider tip.
Ball up the meat in your hands… They should fit when your hands are cupped together. I find it’s the easiest and the most consistent way to make even-size balls. They might be a little big if you have larger hands, but who gives a shit.
Space the meatballs evenly on your cookie sheet. You should get about as many as in the picture below, give or take a few. 12ish.
Put in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, and then check with a meat thermometer… you will probably need to go a little longer, but you are shooting for around 120 degrees (they are gonna cook longer in the sauce). Better to check too early than have turkey jerky balls. Remove from the oven when done.
Making the Sauce:
When you put the meatballs into the oven, start making the sauce. In a Dutch oven, saute your diced onion in butter and EVOO. I know the picture below is not a Dutch oven… however, I should have started with one. Not sure what I was thinking.
Once they have softened, add the minced garlic. After a couple of minutes, add the sliced mushrooms (make sure that you remove the stems from the shitakes before you slice them; they are bitter). You might need to add a little bit more butter / EVOO to coat the mushrooms (or you could use white wine or beef broth, too). Let them cook down for a bit… Probably around 8 minutes.
Once the mushrooms have softened (and if you added liquid, it has reduced), add 2/3 cup of the coconut cream and about 1/2 of the jar of red curry (to start). Stir all that in and let the cream warm up to a low simmer. Then add all the herbs and stir in as well.
Once they have had a little time to combine, start tasting the sauce (don’t burn your tongue like I ALWAYS do… a wooden spoon helps). The sauce should be on the thicker side at this point. Add a little beef broth to thin it out… but not too much since juice from the meatballs will also soon add liquid. It is definitely gonna need salt and probably more red curry at this point… Keep seasoning until you get a nice spicy, herby sauce with just a little more than a hint of coconut.
By a rule of thumb, I always overdo my sauces a little seasoning-wise (not with salt but with other flavors)… I feel like you always want it to have a strong flavor because it will be combined with something else, like pasta or meatballs in this scenario, that will mellow out the flavor with whatever the new ingredient is bringing to the table. So, if you overcompensate, it will balance out nicely in the end. Don’t go hard in the paint… just turn it up to like 11.
Now add the meatballs to the Dutch oven. Make sure the sauce is simmering and cover for 10 minutes. Then, stir them gently and add the corn on the cob (cut the kernels off the cob). Cover for another 10 minutes. Once complete, taste the sauce for the last time and add any more seasoning if need be. You are now done.
Serve in a bowl and garnish with more cilantro and a squeeze of lemon or lime.
Make sure you made enough to feed your friends lunch.
