Turkey Meatballs Alex Guarnaschelli Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Stuff the turkey: Place the turkey on a flat surface, season with salt and pepper on the inside and out and stuff the cavity with stuffing if using. Tie the legs closed with a strong piece of kitchen twine or string by wrapping them around and around the drumsticks and pulling them closed like you're tying a shoe.
• Prepare the turkey: Soak 1 large double-layered piece of cheesecloth in the butter. Brush any remaining butter on top of the bird and cover the breast meat with the cheesecloth to keep it moist for the first part of cooking, tucking it into the natural crevices of the bird to keep it in place. Arrange the garlic, carrots and onions in the bottom of a roasting pan and arrange the turkey on the roasting pan right above them. Place the pan in the center of the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
• Lower the oven to 350 degrees F and count about 12 minutes per pound of the turkey weight.
• After about 2 hours, take the turkey out, gently remove the cheesecloth from the top of the breasts, baste the turkey with any pan juices, rotate the pan halfway and return to the oven. Place the turkey neck and the chicken stock in a medium pot and simmer gently on the stove as the turkey finishes cooking. Reduce the stock by about half.
• How do you know when the turkey is done? The temperature of the thigh meat (where the meat is thickest and takes the longest time to cook) should register 160 to 165 degrees F when tested with a thermometer. The thigh juices should also be clear, not pink. When done, remove the bird from the oven, transfer to a flat surface and allow it to rest, breast side down, for 30 minutes. Why rest the turkey breast side down after cooking it breast side up? So the juices flow back through the meat as it sits.
• Make the gravy: Place the roasting pan over the burners of the stove, whisk in the sherry and mustard to the pan and warm it over low heat. Scrape the bottom to get the drippings and tasty bits off the bottom of the pan as the sherry reduces almost completely. Strain the neck out from the stock and add the stock to the roasting pan. Simmer over medium heat, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce further until the mixture starts to thicken. Puree half of the gravy (with the cooked vegetables) in a blender until smooth, and then stir back into the gravy. The vegetables are a natural thickener that is healthier and lighter than the classic cornstarch or flour! Stir in the vinegar. Taste for seasoning. Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the turkey breast skin-side up on a roasting tray. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme - you don't need any oil as this is a dry roast method. Roast the turkey until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast, 1 hour. Remove the turkey from the tray and set aside on a plate to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving the meat into slices.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, heavy cream, poppy seeds, and a pinch of salt. Whisk to blend. Taste for seasoning.
• In a medium skillet, lay out the bacon strips and add the water. Bring the water to a simmer and allow all of the water to reduce and cook until the bacon strips get crispy. It will make your bacon crispier! Reserve some of the bacon grease in a small bowl. Meanwhile, toss together the dressing and the iceberg lettuce and refrigerate.
• Slice the rolls lengthwise and open up. Place the rolls (or bread slices) in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the center of the oven. Toast on both sides until light brown.
• Layer some of the iceberg on 4 bases of the rolls. Top with some layers of turkey. Drizzle with a touch of the bacon grease. Layer a few slices of avocado and apple on each. Top with 2 bacon slices each and another layer of the iceberg. Top with the top halves of the rolls. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Add the meat to a large bowl, spread it out and season with salt, to taste. Add the remaining ingredients leaving the bread crumbs until last. Mix until all the ingredients are combined. Create a small patty and test it in a small saute pan in 1 tablespoon of oil. When browned on both sides, taste and re-season the meat mixture, if needed. Roll the mixture into about 20 to 25 or so balls that are about 2 inches in diameter.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, shut off the heat to avoid splattering, add the meatballs in a single layer and spread them somewhat apart so they have a chance to brown instead of steam. You may need to do this in batches. Brown the meatballs, over high heat, turning them so they brown all around. Treat them like hamburgers and cook them until they are medium-rare, about 3 to 5 minutes. Touch them to make sure they are still tender in the center. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove them from the pan to a tray and cook off the remaining balls, if needed.
• Add the meatballs to the hot tomato sauce and allow them to bubble slightly and simmer over very low heat for a few minutes. Shut off the heat and allow the mixture to rest for a few additional minutes before serving.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, the garlic, red pepper flakes, and sugar and season with salt, to taste. Stir in the carrots and re-season with salt. Cook for about 2 minutes, and then add canned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break up some of the whole tomatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add half of the water to prevent the veggies from getting too dry and continue cooking another 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. The tomatoes should be fairly broken down and the flavors coming together. Add remaining water, as needed, and cook for an additional 10 minutes. The sauce cooks about as long as it takes to make the meatballs from start to finish, about 45 minutes. Stir in the basil leaves and season with Parmesan.

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil.
• Make the sauce: In a large wide, saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are tender, 10 to 15 minutes, and then add the plum tomatoes, sugar, and oregano. Stir to blend and then pour in the canned tomatoes and their juices. Cook, stirring from time to time, until it comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes, to allow the ingredients to meld together. Taste for seasoning. Lower the heat and let the sauce continue to cook as you make the meatballs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Make the meatballs: Put the beef in a large bowl and spread it all over the bottom of the bowl and up the sides a little. This will help you to distribute the seasoning evenly over the meat. Sprinkle the meat with the salt and add the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together. Work in 1 of the eggs with your hands. Roll 1 small ball (about 11/2 to 2 inches in diameter).
• Taste test: In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the canola oil over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, shut off the heat (to avoid splattering), and add the meatball. Put the heat back on high and brown on all sides for a few minutes until cooked but still pink in the middle. Taste for seasoning and texture. If too moist, add more bread crumbs. If too dry, add another beaten egg or a splash of water. Adjust the salt and red pepper flakes, if needed, as well. Roll the remaining meat into 11/2-inch diameter meatballs; you should have about 20.
• Cook the meatballs: Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the remaining canola oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, shut off the heat and add the meatballs in a single layer, spreading them apart somewhat so they have a chance to brown instead of steaming. Put the heat back on high and turn the meatballs to brown them on all sides. Cook to medium-rare, 3 to 5 minutes. Squeeze the sides of 2 meatballs between your thumb and index finger to make sure they are still tender in the center. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove them from the pan and transfer them to a tray lined with a kitchen towel to drain any excess grease.
• Cook the pasta: Season the boiling water with salt until it tastes like seawater. Bring the water back up to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon to make sure it doesn't clump or stick to the bottom as it cooks, until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Serve the meatballs: Meanwhile, once you drop the pasta in the water, add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer over very low heat, 3 to 5 minutes. Shut off the heat and allow the sauce and meat to rest as your pasta finishes cooking. Pour off any excess grease in the skillet used to brown the meatballs, add a ladle of sauce, and warm the pan over low heat. Stir to catch any browned bits of meat in the skillet. After a few minutes, pour that sauce back in with the rest. Stir in a little of the reserved pasta cooking liquid if needed to thin. Transfer the sauce and meatballs to a large bowl and toss in half of the cooked pasta. Add about 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the remaining pasta. Serve with the remaining cheese in a bowl on the side.

Steps:

• Make the meatball mixture: Heat a medium skillet and add the olive oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the onions, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook the onions over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until they soften and become translucent, 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, spread the ground turkey out and season with the 2 teaspoons salt and chili flakes. Mix with your hands to blend. Add the egg, milk, Parmesan, breadcrumbs and parsley. Add in the onions, garlic and cooking juices and mix thoroughly to combine all of the ingredients. Roll one meatball (about 11/2 inches in diameter) and roll in some of the cornmeal to lightly coat the exterior. Heat some of the canola oil in a small skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, shut off the heat (to avoid splattering) add the meatball. Brown on all sides and cook for a few minutes until cooked but still pink in the middle. Taste for seasoning and texture. If too "wet", add some more breadcrumbs. If too dry, add another beaten egg or a splash water. Adjust the seasoning, if needed, as well. Roll the remaining meat into balls. Roll them lightly in the cornmeal. Heat a large skillet, heat the remaining canola oil until it smokes lightly and brown the meatballs over medium heat. Serve as is, with your own sauce or the tomato sauce suggested below. For the sauce: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the onions become translucent. Add the sugar and the canned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break up some of the whole tomatoes and cook 10-15 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning, The tomatoes should be fairly broken down and the flavors coming together. Cook for another few minutes if the tomatoes still taste like they need a little more time to break down. Set aside to cool.