Meritage Taste Off: Meatball Sliders

From: epicurious

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 cup water

8 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

1 14.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

Arugula leaves (optional)

18 small soft rolls, split horizontally

Directions

Mix all meats, panko, 1/2 cup water, 6 tablespoons cheese, egg, egg yolk, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in large bowl. Form into eighteen 2-inch-meatballs.

Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry meatballs until brown all over. Transfer to plate. Pour off drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add olive oil to skillet. Add onion, garlic, basil, and fennel seeds. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add all tomatoes with juices. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Puree sauce in processor until almost smooth. Return to same skillet. Add meatballs. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes longer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

Place arugula leaves on bottom of each roll, if desired. Top each with 1 meatball. Drizzle meatballs with some of sauce and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 tablespoons. cheese. Cover with tops of rolls.

Notes:

I added more herbs to the meatballs (especially rosemary, basil, oregano.

I used canned crushed tomatoes in the sauce rather than whole peeled tomatoes and substituted about 1/3 cup pesto for the fresh basil leaves (because that is what I had in the house).

Meritage Taste Off: Ginger Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients

1 cup Pomegranate Juice

1 Tablespoon Sugar (I used ½ Tbs)

1 ½ inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly

4 Tbs orange juice

1 tsp per flute Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier (we used Triple Sec)

1 750 ml bottle brut sparkling wine, chilled

Directions

Combine pomegranate juice, sugar and ginger in a saucepan over high heat; reduce to 1/3 cup, stirring intermittently.  Refrigerate (I made this several days in advance and kept the ginger slices in the liquid until just before serving.)

In each champagne flute, pour 4 tsp pomegranate syrup, 1 Tbs orange juice, 1 tsp orange liqueur.  Top off with sparkling wine.

Meritage Tasting

Hosts: Jean and Dale

The Meritage* Taste Off!!!

The evening will start with:

·   A white meritage with appetizers


Ginger Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail

The evening will proceed with the blind Red Meritage tasting:

·      First a taste without food

·      Then another taste while enjoying heavy hors d'oeuvres designed to complement the red wines


Meatball Sliders

Please bring:

·   One bottle of a Red Meritage Wine meeting the following criteria

o       Domestic

o       Vintage 2006 (possibly 2007)

o       Price: This is up to you but less than $50.00 (and do not feel you need to spend this much!!!)

o       Greater than 50% cabernet sauvignon

o       The name does not have to include “meritage” but the grapes in the wine must meet criteria defining a red meritage (see attached document)

Note:

We will ask one couple to bring a red French Bordeaux.  As you know, a red meritage includes the same grape varieties found in a red Bordeaux.  We will then be able to compare the domestic meritages to a classic Bordeaux. 

Meritage Wine Summary

All were winners!

The wines in order of placement on the china cabinet:

Sparkman 2006 Stella Mae, Columbia Valley (14.9% alcohol)

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc

Cuillin Hills 2006 Claret, Columbia Valley (14.3% alcohol)

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot

Whitman Cellars 2004 Narcissa Red, Columbia Valley (13.8% alcohol)

63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Syrah, 12% Malbec, 10% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc

Chateau St. Michelle 2006 Meritage Red Wine, Columbia Valley (14.3% alcohol)

58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot

Rollat 2007 Sophie de Rollat, Columbia Valley (14.2% alcohol)

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Bel-Air La Royere 2004 Blaye (13.5% alcohol)

65% Merlot, 25% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

I found the details on the following website: http://www.cadmanfinewines.co.uk/ChateauBelAirlaRoyere_2004

Minted Lentil and Goat Cheese Strudel (from The Herbal Kitchen cookbook, Jerry Traunfeld (of the Herb Garden Restaurant fame)

I am attaching the scanned, 2 page recipe to the email.  I made individual phyllo packets and instead of brushing with butter, I sprayed the sheets with Olive Oil using my oil “misto”.  I did not include the mint because Dale is not fond of that herb.