Meatballs with Peppers and Pineapple

This recipe was adapted from an old recipe in my mother's binder. It came from a church friend of ours named Mary Friley. Mary had beautiful salt-and-pepper hair, a son named Chip, and a daughter named Stephanie who lit up any room she entered.

Recipes are so personal, aren't they?

And I suddenly want a son named Chip. So wonderfully preppy.

These are Asian-inspired meatballs that can be served over rice as a yummy dinner or on an appetizer buffet table with toothpicks. I've switched a few things up from the original and made the dish decidedly spicy, which proves to be a nice contrast to the sweetness of the pineapples and sauce.

Whip it up this week! It's a total cinch to make.

 

Chop up some onion really finely.

 

 

 

Throw it into a bowl with some ground beef.

 

 

 

Crack in an egg…

 

 

 

And add some salt…

 

 

 

Some pepper…

 

 

 

And some crushed red pepper. This really does add some nice spice to the mix, but if you're averse to much heat, you can leave this out.

You can't HANDLE the heat!

 

 

 

Finally, to give it a little texture, add some panko breadcrumbs—or any breadcrumbs will do!

 

 

 

Use your hands to mix/knead it all together.

 

 

 

Then scoop out small amounts…

 

 

 

Roll them into neat little balls, and place them on a cookie sheet. Go small with the meatballs, too. Smaller is better in this dish.

Now, stick the pan of meatballs into the freezer for fifteen minutes or so, just to firm them up and make them easier to fry.

 

 

 

While they're firming up, get all the other ingredients ready: mix up some beef stock, soy sauce, vinegar (or sherry; either one is fine!), sugar, and cornstarch. Mix it together until well combined.

 

 

 

Chop up some green (and/or) red bell peppers. I like to do sort of a rough chop and make all the chunks different shapes (as opposed to doing a neat, tidy dice).

 

 

 

Makes me feel like a rebel.

 

 

 

Next, grab a pineapple.

 

 

 

Lop off the top and bottom.

 

 

 

Next, slice off the skin in six sections.

 

 

 

Hexagon!

 

 

 

Next, use a sharp knife to cut diagonally from point to point. You'll make three cuts.

 

 

 

Next, slice the hard section off of each wedge.

 

 

 

Then just slice up the wedges into bite-size pieces.

Done!

 

 

 

When you're ready, pull the meatballs out of the freezer. They should be firm, but not frozen solid. Throw each meatball into a little flour and roll it around…

 

 

 

And there you have it! Mexican Wedding Cookies. Enjoy, my friends!

Just kidding.

I will love doing that till the day I die.

 

Heat some canola oil over medium-high heat, then fry the meatballs in two or three batches.

 

 

 

You want to get them nice and brown/crisp on the outside. Don't worry too much about getting them completely done in the middle, as they'll finish cooking in the sauce later.

 

 

 

Remove the meatballs to a separate plate.

 

 

 

Pour off all the excess oil from the pan, then return it to medium-high heat on the stove.

 

 

 

Throw in the green peppers…

 

 

 

And stir them around for less than a minute. You want them to stay crisp through the whole process.

 

 

 

Then throw in the pineapple and cook it for about 45 seconds or so.

 

 

 

Pour in the stock/soy mixture…

 

 

 

And add in all the meat-a-balls.

 

 

 

Stir them gently into the sauce, then let the sauce cook gently for a few minutes.

 

 

 

It will thicken over the course of a few minutes. If it gets too thick, add in a little more stock. If it needs more thickening, mix an additional teaspoon of cornstarch with some stock and pour it in.

 

 

 

Finally, use your freaky pink alien fingers to add in some more crushed red pepper. Trust me!

Zee spice eez nice.

Also: be sure to taste the sauce and make sure it's salted enough. Thank you for your cooperation.

 

 

 

Serve the loveliness over rice or noodles.

 

 

 

It's a really nice, satisfying dish. And you can swap out a red bell pepper for one of the green ones to add even more gorgeous color to the mix.

Enjoy this, my friends!

Love,

P-Widdy-Dub-Diddy-Diddy-Dub-Dub

 


Recipe: Meatballs with Peppers and Pineapple

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
 | 
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
 | 
Difficulty: Easy
 | 
Servings: 8

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Ingredients
1-¼ pound Ground Beef½ whole Onion, Diced Very Finely1 whole Egg½ cups Panko Bread Crumbs (or Regular Breadcrumbs)1 teaspoon Kosher Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper, More To Taste¼ cups All-purpose Flour Canola Oil, For Frying2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Seeded And Diced Roughly1-½ cup Fresh Pineapple Chunks2 cups Beef Stock Or Broth2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce½ cups Sherry Or White Wine Vinegar⅓ cups Sugar1 Tablespoon Cornstarch Salt To Taste Crushed Red Pepper, To Taste Extra Beef Stock If Needed Preparation Instructions

Combine ground beef, diced onion, egg, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and crushed red pepper. Mix with hands until combined. Roll meat mixture into small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze on the pan for 15 minutes to firm.

Mix together beef stock, soy sauce, sherry (or vinegar), sugar, and cornstarch.

Heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Roll meatballs in flour, then fry in two batches until nice and brown, about two minutes per batch. Remove meatballs and set aside on a separate plate.

Pour off oil from pan and return pan to medium high heat. When pan is hot, throw in the chopped green peppers and cook for one minute. Add pineapple to pan and cook for one minute, stirring gently. Pour in stock/soy sauce mixture, then add meatballs. Stir gently to combine and allow to cook and bubble for a few minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Add salt and crushed red peppers to taste. (Hint: this dish is yummy if it's a little spicy.)

Serve over cooked brown or white rice.