A mother-daughter conversation on food and cooking (mostly)

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Flank Steak Broil

























I'm putting this up to record it for posterity.  It's a really effective way to tenderize flank steak.  Score it on both sides in a diagonal diamond pattern, making the cuts  about 1 1/2 inches apart and a quarter inch deep.  Also, save the marinade and boil it throughly, then use it as a sauce when serving.

Friday, January 26, 2018

Lamb Meatballs in the Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot

I pretty much winged these but they turned out great, so I thought I'd record what I did. Many future variations are possible.

These were fast. I made the meatball mixture in a food processor in the morning before work and shoved the whole thing in the fridge, then made the dish in about 20 minutes from start to finish after work. I served it with broiled broccoli, sliced olive levain from the local bakery, butter, fermented collards, and some yogurt sauce.

1/2 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 scant teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
salt
black pepper
handful celery leaves (I would have used cilantro, parsley or mint instead if I'd had them)
1 lb ground lamb
1 egg
1/4 cup or more breadcrumbs (I used panko from a bag)

Blend thoroughly in food processor. Form the meatballs and put them on the bottom of the pressure cooker pot (we have an Elite brand Instant Pot knockoff). Turn on the browning/saute function and let them brown. Add:

big splash of white wine
chicken broth, or chicken bouillon in a little water
1/2 package frozen spinach (optional)

The liquid doesn't need to be more than like 1/3 cup — just enough to moisten it all. I used the timed pressure cook function for 7 minutes. Forcibly released the pressure. Meatballs were lovely.