When a juicy ball of fish or minced meat comes out on a plate with an appetizing steam, you hardly care what exactly it is called - a meatball or a meatball. But if you want to find a recipe or order a certain dish in a restaurant, then you should still find out what are the differences between one and the other.
3 differences between meatballs and meatballs
I must say that the question of what is the difference between meatballs and meatballs worries only Russian-speaking chefs. Why did it happen? The fact is that the recipes for these dishes are not just borrowed, but taken from several sources at once, combined, and then creatively reworked.
So the closest "relatives" of meatballs are at the same time Danish meatballs (Frikadeller) and German meat dumplings Fleischklößchen (Fleischklößchen). And if Danish meatballs are served fried, then German, as the name implies, are boiled in water or broth.
Meatballs appeared in Russia thanks to Jewish cuisine. They are believed to have evolved from a traditional oriental dish called köfte. Kufta is prepared in South and Central Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans, according to hundreds of different national recipes. And they will again have in common that this is a dish of minced meat rolled into balls. Kufta can be prepared from one or of three types of meat, with or without cereals or vegetables; this dish is fried, stewed, boiled.
So, what are the characteristics of Russian culinary experts to distinguish one from the other? There are three fundamental differences:
- meatballs are larger in size than meatballs;
- in the meatballs, in addition to minced meat, there must be cereals or vegetables;
- meatballs are always served with sauce.
Swedish meatballs
In Sweden itself, you will find this dish under the name - Köttbullar. This is a traditional home-cooked meal, simple comfort food served at the family table.
You will need:
- 250 g ground beef;
- 250 g minced pork;
- 100 g bread crumbs;
- 100 ml of milk with a fat content of 3.5%;
- 1 large onion head;
- 1 large chicken egg;
- 1 teaspoon of mustard;
- 1 teaspoon of finely ground salt;
- ½ teaspoon of ground allspice;
- a pinch of white pepper;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of butter;
- vegetable oil or margarine for frying.
Pour the breadcrumbs with milk and leave for 10-15 minutes. Cut the onion into small cubes. Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion until transparent. Cool down. Combine ground beef and pork, pepper, mustard and salt in a wide bowl. Beat in a chicken egg. Squeeze out excess liquid from the breadcrumbs, put them in the minced meat. Add fried onions. Start kneading the minced meat, but not too vigorously, so that it does not become sticky, but remains airy. Blind the meatballs about 3 centimeters in diameter.
In a wide, deep skillet, heat the oil or melt the margarine. Begin to sauté the meatballs in batches. First, roast over high heat for 10 minutes, then for about 10 more minutes over medium heat. Do not cover the meatballs with a lid, otherwise you will not get a light golden crust. Turn the meatballs over with a special wide spatula. Serve the meatballs with mashed potatoes or simple boiled young potatoes, lingonberry jam and the classic Brunsås sauce. Here's a quick step-by-step recipe for this gravy.
For the sauce you will need:
- 400 ml beef broth;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of wheat flour;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of butter;
- 50 ml of cream with a fat content of about 20%;
- 1 teaspoon of soy sauce;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of water.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add flour and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until flour turns golden. Pour water into the pan where the meatballs were fried, heat up and drain into a saucepan. Add broth, soy sauce and cream there, salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes.
Persian meatballs
Tabriz Köftesi is one of the most famous Iranian dishes. These oriental meatballs have an incredibly light and moist texture, an interesting taste and an original recipe. It is worth considering in advance that these meatballs are cooked for two days - some of the ingredients are mixed and left to cool for 10-12 hours.
You will need:
- 1 kg of ground beef;
- ½ cup split yellow peas;
- 1 cup long grain rice
- ½ cup bulgur
- 4 large onions;
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric;
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon;
- 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper;
- ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper;
- 1 ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 1 teaspoon of finely ground salt;
- 2 tbsp. and 1 teaspoon of tomato paste;
- 18 walnut halves;
- 18 dried apricots;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried cranberries;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried cherries;
- 3 tbsp. tablespoons of butter;
- 1 gram of saffron;
- salt.
Start cooking with peas. Boil it in a small saucepan until tender. Drain off excess liquid and cool. Chop 2 onions. Put peas, onions and ground beef in a blender bowl, chop until smooth.
Put rice and bulgur in a saucepan, cover with 1 cup of water, add 1 tablespoon of butter, ¼ teaspoon of turmeric and ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook over medium heat until half cooked. Drain and cool slightly.
Place the cereals over the minced meat, beat in an egg and stir until a smooth, slightly sticky mixture is obtained. Tighten the container with minced meat with cling film and refrigerate for 10-12 hours.
Cut the remaining onions into small cubes and fry until golden brown. Prepare the sauce - melt the remaining butter in a deep wide saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, black and cayenne pepper, saffron and 3 cups of boiling water, salt, add half the fried onion and bring to a boil. You can make the sauce in advance, along with the meat mixture, and reheat it before the second stage. The addition of saffron to the sauce is optional, but the value of this spice is that it has an intoxicating characteristic aroma.
Remove the minced meat from the refrigerator, put the remaining tomato paste in it, add salt, the remaining turmeric and cinnamon, and chopped onions. Knead well. Divide into six large balls. Chop nuts and dried apricots, mix with cherries and cranberries. The tasty filling can be varied with other nuts and dried fruits. You can use raisins, peanuts, pistachios - your imagination will tell you a good option.
Take a small bowl with a diameter of 10-15 centimeters. Pour in ½ tbsp. tablespoons of chilled boiled water. Separate half from one meat ball, place in a bowl, add 1/6 of the filling and cover with the remaining minced meat. Run your fingers around the edges, sealing the meatballs. Turn the bowl over and place the meatballs in the palm of your hand. Place it gently in the simmering sauce. Repeat the operation with the remaining balls. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, then cover and simmer for another hour. Lift the lid from time to time and pour the sauce over the kyufta. Turn off the heat and leave the dish covered for 10 minutes. Serve with sauce and leftover sautéed onions, or garnish with barberry or pomegranate seeds if desired. One serving will consist of one meatballs.
