Wednesday, December 31, 2008

No More Boring Leftovers Continued: Asian Meatballs with Udon and Beef Broth

Soup is a quick and easy thing to prepare at the last minute. Unfortunately, the idea equated with soup is generally a huge vat with tons and tons of leftovers. With this soup, I've tried to create just the right amount, using my pre-made ground meat mixture .

I used store bought beef broth for my base, because it's flavorful and simple. I generally buy organic is possible, the increase in quality is well worth the small increase in price when it's the entire base of a dish. Then I supplemented the meatballs with scallions, mushrooms, and udon noodles for some added texture and flavors to my soup.


The result was quick: 20 minutes max from start to finish, and an incredibly comforting, warm, and homey feeling dish. Perfect for a cold night.

Asian Meatballs with Udon and Beef Broth

Served 2.
Leftover Potential: Take out just the right amount of meat so there are no leftovers!

Meatballs:
1 cup ground meat mixture
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs (or panko)
1 tbsp oil, for cooking

1. Combine meat mixture with the egg until well combined.
2. Add the bread crumbs/panko and mix thoroughly.
3. Using your hands, divide the meat into small balls (slightly larger than bite size).
4. In a medium pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Place the meatballs around the pan, allowing them to sear until browned, approx. 1-2 minutes.
5. Turn the meatballs over, repeating the cooking on the other side. Cover the pan and let steam until finished, another 2 minutes. You can test the meatballs by cutting into them. Set aside.

Soup:
1 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 can beef broth
2 oz noodles (wide noodles or lo mein work best)
6 mushrooms, thinly sliced
other vegetables, as desired, thinly sliced
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

2 scallions, cut into 1/8" strips
meatballs, cooked

1. In a small pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until aromatic, about 1 minute.
2. Add the beef broth, and bring to a gentle boil. Add the noodles and allow to cook until tender.
3. When the noodles are nearly finished, add the mushrooms and other vegetables and allow to cook until tender.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and finish with scallions and finished meatballs. Allow meatballs to heat through if they've had time to cool.
5. Serve in warm bowls with spoons and chopsticks.

1 comment:

  1. Yum yum, this was great. The meatballs added lots of zip. My alterations were as follows (because lord knows I can't leave a recipe alone):
    1. I left the garlic out of the broth because I thought the meatballs would provide sufficient garlicity.
    2. I used a whole box of broth, so it made enough for five servings -two on the spot and three for leftovers the next day. (Willie ate it for breakfast.)
    3. Soba instead of udon, because I had it in the house. They're perfect with a beefy dish.

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