Eat This While You Read That: L A Behm II

Lloyd, who writes as LA Behm the second, which I can never remember, has a biting sense of humor I hugely enjoy in life, and in his fiction. He's also a poet, but that's not the book I wanted to talk about today. In the Dance Hall of the Mountain King is part of his series surrounding the weird world he's built following an apocalypse of sorts that brought magic to our own world, and the way life unfolds in the chaos that brings in it's wake. It's funny, though - laugh-out-loud fare, and light-hearted, so you shouldn't think this is some post-apoc dystopia. Just like you shouldn't assume the meatloaf is going to be a leaden anchor in your stomach...

Prepping the meat mixture. At this point you can go with the loaf, or the balls.

Because I didn't make meatloaf. I was going to, but the temperature was in the nineties, and so was the humidity and I couldn't face it. So I made some tweaks, and wound up with a fantastic meal that was perfect on a hot summer evening. I don't think Lloyd will mind at all - his characters improvise frequently and with flair, so I know he thinks along those lines! So grab your copy of the book (which is also, like this meal, a light and short read, great for relaxing on the porch after dinner and enjoying the cool of the evening) and get cooking!

Lebanese Meatballs/Meat Loaf

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Lamb 1 lb lean Ground Beef 1 lb Ground . . . Pork, turkey, chicken, what ever you'd like (if you want a smaller meat loaf/fewer meatballs, leave this one out) 1 cup finely chopped/minced green onions ½ cup white or yellow onion minced (this is usually half a fist sized onion)

½ to 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

2 cloves or equivalent roasted garlic

3 cloves or equivalent garlic 4 tbs dried mint

1 tsp cumin

¼ tsp ground allspice

1 tbs ground mustard

1 tsp sea salt 2 Extra Large or 3 Large Eggs

Optional -

1 tsp oregano or basil (or both) if you're going to be using the meatballs in tomato sauce.

Preparation-

Prepare two baking sheets with racks (half sheet pans with stainless steel racks) – spray the racks with non stick spray otherwise the meatballs will stick (if making meatballs)  or loaf pan if making meatloaf.

Set oven to broil (meatballs) or 400 degrees (meat loaf – note our oven runs hot, so we usually use 375 for meat loaf, so your mileage may vary)

Meatballs -

Mix meat, eggs, and spices.  Then use a tablespoon to spoon out meatballs, rounding by hand and placing on cookie sheet.  Broil for 3-5 minutes (depending on your oven) then remove first pan from oven and put in the second pan.  While the second pan is cooking turn over the meatballs in the first pan, then return to oven for another two minutes when the second pan has cooked 3-5 minutes.

Wash, rinse repeat until done.  

Two to three pounds of meat makes about three to four dozen meatballs.  And they freeze wonderfully – we usually eat one dozen that night, and freeze the remainder in bags of a dozen for future use.

Meatballs ready to cook

Meatloaf -

Mix as above, place on pan (or in loaf pan)

Cover with 2 tbs tomato paste

2 tbs dark brown or muscovado sugar 1 tsp to tbs chili powder (to taste) ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

Stir the above together, smear on meatloaf and bake at 400 for one hour or until probe thermometer reads 165 internal temperature.  

Sauce for Meatballs -

Ingredients -

28 oz can diced or petite diced tomatoes 2 8 oz (or 6 oz) cans tomato sauce 1 6 oz can tomato paste 1-2 cups water

3 tbs mint 1 tbs garlic powder 1 tbs/clove garlic

1 tsp each of the following – cumin, ground mustard, coriander

Preparation - Put ingredients in medium sauce pan, heat on medium until it reaches a simmer.  Add meatballs and simmer for ten minutes, reduce temperature to low and keep warm while you prepare either rice or noodles for under the meatballs and sauce.

I think the yield for me, using my small disher for consistency, was 4 dozen. Plenty in the freezer with plans for using them already being bandied about!

I made up naan, tzatziki sauce, and a greek salad to serve the meatballs as a sort of meatball gyro - there was some discussion about making the meatloaf and shaving it up like gyro meat, but this worked beautifully and I have no regrets.

Naan, sheep's milk feta, greek salad, meatballs, tzatziki... a feast without being too heavy.

The flavor of the meatballs is fantastic. I used a pound each of ground beef, lamb, and pork. I could taste the lamb if I ate just a meatball, but it was very subtle. I think I can get away without it next time (and at $8 a pound it's definitely an indulgence). But the herbs, garlic, and onion work so well, and it's certainly got that Middle Eastern taste to it. I've already been told I'm making this again!

For more recipes and books from Eat This While You Read That, check out the page here. There's also a discussion group on facebook that centers around food and books, you're welcome to join in there!