Leeky Meatballs

Contributed by Dave Herz

6 large leeks
1 pound Princess Ground Beef
1 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 ¼ cups chicken stock
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
cornstarch
salt and pepper

Slice leeks into inch wide pieces. You can include where the leeks just turn green but don’t use the leaves. Steam for about 20 minutes or until they are soft. Drain and allow to cool. Squeeze out residual water with a paper towel. Coarsely chop the leeks with a knife or place in a food processor to chop but don’t let them get
mushy.

Put leeks in a bowl with meat, bread crumbs, eggs, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix completely by hand. Form into small patties, about 2 3/4 by 3/4 inch. (Meatballs are made in a variety of shapes around the world.) Refrigerate for half an hour.

Heat the oil in a pan and sear the patties to a golden brown on both sides. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Place patties back in pan. It’s okay to overlap them. Add stock until patties are almost covered. Then add lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to gently simmer for 30 minutes. Remove patties from stock.

Reduce stock to approximately 3/4 cup then thicken to a honey-like consistency with cornstarch. Add the cornstarch a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Serve patties with yogurt and parsley.