"Chopped" Challenge - Meatballs in Mole Sauce with Swiss Chard

It's Day 2 of my "Chopped" challenge, in which I had asked my blog readers to suggest ingredients that I would then have to use in creating an appetizer, an entree, or a dessert.

My fabulously wonderful blogging buddy Jenn, of Jenn's Food Journey (who guest posted about Runza Bites in honor of the Michigan-Nebraska game this past fall), took me up on the project with the following dare:


"Oh my gosh, what a great way to challenge yourself!! Wow, let's see.... I'll suggest dark chocolate in the appetizer round. :) Good luck!!!" 

Well, chocolate - of course! - is usually reserved for sweets.  I had visions of a rich and decadent mousse, of decorative chocolate drizzles tucked into whipped cream, of melting the lusciousness and sprinkling it with lovely little tidbits like glaceed cherries and candied orange peel to make small and sophisticated candies.

But while those would have made exceptional desserts, they didn't qualify as appetizers, did they?

So then my mind meandered down to Mexico, where dark chocolate is a regular ingredient in savory sauces.  I, myself, have been known to toss chocolate into chili, so this wasn't too far-fetched to me.

I started to do some research, and found the following information about pipián sauces, which are a type of mole, at bellaonline.com:

"A pipián is a sauce thickened with ground seeds or nuts and Mexican food at its most historical and authentically pre-hispanic. It belongs to the family of the great 'moles' of Mexico, and while the actual word mole, derived from the Aztecs’ Náhuatl language, simply means sauce, today it is almost invariably a sauce containing chillies .... (This sauce is) richly flavoured with spices and dried chillies, and further enhanced by the acidity of tomatoes or tomatillos."

I also found this on Wikipedia:

"The term mole is most often associated with thick, dark, brownish-red sauces, but the term is really more general than that ....  Pipian is a type of mole which mostly consists of ground squash seeds. It does not contain chocolate (though other moles do) ... (and is) served with poultry and pork, and sometimes with fish or vegetables."

And so, armed with this information as well as a tendency to put my own spin on foods by respecting tradition but tweaking it a bit, I started to create my dish.  Some pepitas would be necessary ... some peppers, perhaps chipotles in adobo sauce ... some tomatoes ... and don't forget the requisite chocolate!

I somehow had a notion about wanting to serve something small, like meatballs, rather than strips of meat; but I also didn't want to just serve boring ol' rice, or stuff the filling into a tortilla that would just be a drippy mess with the sauce.  Some red chard looked gorgeous at the market on the day I did my shopping, and so it became the accompaniment.  (Yes, that really is how it works sometimes in my brain - no plan, just whatever strikes my fancy!)  It definitely paired well with the sauce and with the pork.

Jenn loves both spicy food and her signature sauces.  So I tried to stay true to her spirit with these tender meatballs and their fabulous accompaniments.

Meatballs in Mole Sauce with Swiss Chard

Sauce:
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 cup roasted, salted pepitas, coarsely ground
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup beer
2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

In a large saucepan, heat the oil, cumin seeds, and pepitas over medium heat; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Combine the tomato sauce and chipotle peppers in a blender; puree until smooth, then pour into the saucepan.  Stir in the salt and beer; bring to a boil.  Turn heat down to "low," then stir in the chocolate until melted.

Meatballs:
1 pound ground pork
1 medium scallion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon oil

In a large bowl, combine pork, scallion, parsley, salt, pepper, and chili powder; combine well.  Form generous 1" meatballs.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the meatballs and cook for 6-7 minutes until well browned on all sides and slightly firm.  Carefully add the meatballs to the simmering sauce, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Swiss Chard:
1 tablespoon oil
8 ounces red Swiss chard, torn into strips
pinch of kosher salt

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chard and the salt; cook just until wilted.

To serve: Place the chard onto a serving platter.  Top with the meatballs and the sauce.

Serves 6 as an appetizer.

Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

Fresh mozzarella was on sale at the grocery store recently, so I thought I'd buy a container and then figure out what to do with it.  This is often how things work here - I don't head to the store with a plan, but rather find out what's on sale or being offered as a Manager's Special (on the verge of its "sell by" date and thus discounted).  I bring the loot home and then write about whatever concoctions I've devised with my stellar deals.

This is an elegant and sophisticated dish which gives no indication at all of being inspired by a sale item.  An assortment of pantry staples such as bread crumbs, olive oil, and canned tomatoes were combined with some fresh vegetables and wine already on hand.  The result was a spicy sauce and some tender meatballs filled with melting cheese.  It was exceptionally good!

I'm proud of both my shopping skills and also of how wonderful this meal was!  And I'm trying to win a contest that would offer cookbooks, other goodies, AND a phone chat with the fabulous Lidia Bastianich herself as a prize - would that make a great item for the blog, or what???  So please go to this link and vote for me.  Many thanks!!!

Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine

Meatballs:
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
6 3/4" cubes fresh mozzarella
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, onion, peppers, fresh tomatoes, salt, and peppper; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add the wine and the crushed tomatoes; bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and continue simmering.

Make the meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and bread crumbs; mix well. Form 6 meatballs. One by one, flatten the meatballs into small patties; place 1 cheese cube into the center, then wrap the cheese in the turkey, making sure to seal it well. Repeat until all of the meatballs have been stuffed.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 5 minutes, turning them frequently to brown them all over.

Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

The meatballs and sauce can be served "as is" for a traditional Italian "secondi" ([seh-GON-dee] = second course), or they can be served over rice or pasta. (In Italy, a first course offers pasta, rice, or soup; the second course would offer meat, and then subsequently there would be vegetables, salads, and dolci - [DOHL-chee], sweets.)

Serves 2-4.

Because I Value My Kneecaps ....

Kneecaps are precious things, connecting the thigh to the shin and helping us to stand or to walk. When we bump them, they hurt terribly; they need to be protected.

And so, because I value my kneecaps so greatly, I am going to show you my weekend labor of love, some of which will be served this week and some of which will wait patiently in the freezer for a cold, icy night in February, perhaps, when its comfort will be most welcomed -- a Sicilian pasta sauce that takes hours to slowly simmer and transform itself into a thing of true beauty. But I am not going to share the recipe, because I have been instructed not to.

The recipe comes from a man with reputed Mafia connections, from whom I seem to have six degrees of separation through my ex-husband. And if a Mafioso shared a recipe with me and gave me strict instructions not to then blab it to anyone else, I am not going to put my little scrawny kneecaps at risk by violating that dictum!

But I must tell you that this sauce is a work of art ... as is the legend that accompanies it.

Our Mafioso -- Pete -- says that his beloved grandmother sailed to this country in the early 20th century. Her boat sank close to shore, and she was able to salvage only two priceless things: a family heirloom ruby ring ... and her own grandmother's recipe for pasta sauce.

The recipe has been handed down through the generations, and is supposedly now 250 years old (with modern adaptations incorporated). And when Pete found out how much I like to cook, that I'd studied Italian for a year, and that I love to acquire old family recipes, he very generously passed along his family's cherished treasure ... along with instructions that I was to take pictures when I first made it, so he could see how I'd done.

Now, this is a serious piece of work, this pasta sauce! The instructions call, first of all, for a 16-quart stockpot. I haven't got one, despite having a fairly well-equipped kitchen; mine is only 8 quarts, so I halve the recipe.

It also calls for numerous varieties of tomato products, lots of cheese, and three kinds of meat: meatballs, pork ribs and Italian sausage links. And there are instructions about how to form the meatballs properly -- in this country, we compact them into rocks rather than making them tender.

So, here's how it's done: Soak a slice of bread in water, then squeeze out the excess and add the bread to your meatball mixture. Then simply grab a handful of the mixture, scrape off the excess that isn't in your fist, and lightly form a ball-ish shape before browning the meatballs and then adding them to your sauce for a slow simmer. I can't tell you any more, but I hope you've learned something from this mini tutorial.

Also, note: "DO NOT DRINK WINE WHILE COOKING -- IT AFFECTS YOUR TASTE!" And, just as importantly: "DO NOT USE OREGANO! Sicilians do not use oregano in sauces; they use it on pizza, salad dressing, fish, etc."

I first made the sauce 4 years ago, following each instruction as though Pete and his fellas were in the kitchen with me, supervising. I took pictures of the entire process and the finished product, which Jeremy and I nearly swooned over because it was indescribably amazing!

I anxiously awaited a verdict from Pete, nervous because some of the meatballs had fallen apart ... but that was apparently the defining characteristic proving I'd done it properly -- the meatballs were so tender that some of them simply disintegrated, as they were supposed to (but which I hadn't known while I cooked). Whew!

So, here is a pictorial of how I made the sauce, starting with the ingredients pictured above and the various steps I completed below ... it's all I've got for you, even though I know this isn't fair! I'm normally vehemently opposed to the notion of secret recipes; but I kinda need my kneecaps, so this one has to stay "in the family," as it were ....

Ragu Della Nonna di Pietro
[rah-GOO del-lah NO-nah dee Pee-YAY-troh]

(a.k.a.: Pete's Grandmother's Pasta Sauce -- but doesn't it sound infinitely better in Italian???)