On 2/22/2017 at 5:20 PM, ElsieD said:I make these Thai Turkey Burgers that may or may not interest you. I used this to make burgers but I see no reason why they can't be meatballs.Thai Turkey Burgers1 tablespoon fresh lemongrass, minced2 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced3 green onions, minced1/2 cup lightly packed fresh coriander, chopped2 Thai bird chilis, seeded and finely chopped1 lime, zest only1 tablespoon fish sauce1 lb lean ground turkeyMix the turkey and the other ingredients together by hand until they are well combined.Portion into approximately 4 oz. "patties" And put them in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes for them to firm up a bit.Take out of the fridge and shape into four equal sized burger patties.Top with the following saladA mixture of julienned vegetables. I use carrots, jimica, red sweet pepper, cucumber, chopped red onions, chopped pickled ginger. Mix 3 parts unseasoned rice vinegar to one part sugar until dissolved. Add to veggies, stir to mix well and let sit while you cook the burgers.
Thank you, ElsieD! I took the burger recipe above and made it into meatballs, with a couple of adjustments: no lemongrass here, and no Thai bird chilis. I used Mexican lime for the zest, and added a small amount of juice in an attempt to replace the lemongrass. I used Aleppo pepper in place of the chilis. The stuff was very sticky, but I got the meatballs made and set them to chill.
I didn't have most of the ingredients you listed for the salad, and wanted something more along the lines of a stir fry to cook these little devils. I sliced/chopped eggplant, red bell pepper, green onion, and the stems and leaves of Swiss chard (don't tell my darling) and some fresh tomato, along with the aromatics of garlic and chopped ginger. I browned the meatballs in vegetable oil, then removed them from the pan while the rest of the items went in: first the eggplant, then the peppers and chard stems, then the onions and chard leaves. The aromatics went in, the meatballs were returned to the pan, and a stir fry sauce (soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, a touch of sugar, and a touch of cornstarch) went in to simmer and thicken for a few minutes. The sauce was too thick, and there wasn't enough, so water was added as needed. Chopped cashews were added for some crunch.
Meanwhile, rice was cooking. (Jasmine would have been nice, but I only had basmati.)
Dinner was served. The cilantro garnish was optional, and we both opted for a lot of it.
We thought this was delicious. The meatballs were slightly overcooked, I think: they could have done with less time in the final simmer, but I'd make this again. He'd eat it again.
