Meats

Meat Loaf

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1 lb ground venison
1 lb ground lamb
1 lb ground pork
or any variety of beef, venison, lamb, pork or goat you may have.

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons mustard
1 large yellow onion (caramelized)
4-5 Garlic cloves, crushed or minced
3 eggs
3/4 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon mustard seed
1/4 Teaspoon Mexican chili powder

1/2 Cup ketchup
Sauerkraut – optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crush garlic and set aside at least 10 minutes.  Caramelize onions in olive oil and cool a little bit.
Mix all ingredients, except ketchup, together and put half of mixture into each bread pan pressing the mixture down into each pan.
Spread ketchup on top of each loaf.
Bake for about 1.5 hours. Serve with sauerkraut.

You can cut ingredients in half to make one loaf but I like to make 2 loaves at a time to put one in the freezer for another day.

Pork Chops

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I have been trying flavor combinations from the book “The Flavor Bible” and they recommend tarragon and garlic to be paired with pork.

Pasture raised pork rubbed in olive oil with tarragon, dash of salt and pepper, and fresh garlic clove. Then bake. Yum!

Turkey for Thanksgiving

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The night before baking: 
Season the turkey and store in refrigerator until ready to bake.
Prepare the stuffing and store in bowl overnight.

Bake turkey at 325 degrees for about 6-8 hours or until internal temperature reaches 185 degrees. This is always the difficult part to get right so please make sure the stuffing is well cooked to prevent salmonella.

20 lb turkey – we got a fresh turkey from Farmer Mark at Emma Acres in Ann Arbor. It was the best ever.

Seasoning:
Whole head of garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Mince garlic and set aside for 10 minutes. Mix together salt, pepper, olive oil and rosemary. Blend in garlic until smooth with mortal and pestle. Coat turkey with the blend. Refrigerate covered overnight.

Stuffing:
5 small stalks celery
2 large cloves garlic minced finely, set aside for 10 minutes
1 lb ground pork cooked
1 (14 oz) bag Pepperidge Farm Stuffing breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups (or less) water or broth
1 large onion
1 medium fuji apple
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup homemade cranberry sauce

Sauté pork and set aside. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup water or broth, salt, chopped apple and celery. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add cooked pork and breadcrumbs; mix well. Add 1 cup water and mix. Then add cranberry sauce and stir gently. Add more water as necessary until bread crumbs are mostly moist (juices of the turkey will make stuffing more moist in cooking). Refrigerate.

Meat Balls on Cabbage al Dente

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Meat balls over Cabbage Al Dente

Mix together:
1.5 lb beef or mix of beef, pork, venison
2 eggs
2 medium size yellow onion
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon (do not put too much) blackstrap molasses
1.5 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 cloves of garlic crushed, minced
0.5 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 tsp oregano
Optional: sprinkle of red pepper flakes or dash of hot sauce, horseradish, or paprika

Shape into 1.5 inch balls and cook in sauce pan in olive oil until well browned. You can brown and then put in the oven to bake until well done if you prefer. This is easier since they are somewhat delicate in comparison to meatballs made with breadcrumbs.

Cut about 1/2 of a green cabbage with mandolin or sharp knife into thin long pieces. Steam until it begins to be translucent but still a little crisp when you bite into it.

Serve meatballs on the cabbage with a drizzle of olive oil and parmesan or romano cheese grated on top.

This recipe is also good for making a meat loaf. Just mix ingredients above (except cabbage)  and press into loaf pan. Top with ketchup or similar sauce. Bake 350 degrees for about an hour until well done.