What’s not to love about jumbo meatballs, right? And these ae even better now that I have found a local butcher that grinds bacon into his ground beef to make this luscious bacon-y beef that would be perfect for lots of things — I’ve used it for bolognese, burgers and these here jumbo meatballs (also works with regular mince, if you can find the bacon-y kind. The meatballs are the size of my fist and one is usually enough per person (though I usually make extras. Totally hearty and filling!
This is Dublin Coddle, also known as Irish Potato and Sausage Stew. Now, I have no idea if this is authentic as I have never had it in Dublin, in Ireland…. or frankly anywhere at at time, so I hope that I am not embarrassing myself too much. Critiques — at least on the looks of things — are welcome. I will say that I like all the ingredients (onions, potatoes, bacon, sausage, broth and herbs) and together they tasted terrific and it wasn’t hard to make at all. At the end of the day, it is a bit similar to a German or a ‘standard European stew’. It’s a good way to end St. Patrick’s Day.
Stuffed peppers have been on the rotation for dinners for years. Mostly, I go along more the “Italian style (with a garlic and basil tomato sauce), but I thought that I would do something a little different this time, with more of a Mexican style, with black beans, corn, and leaning to cumin, coriander and a sharp cheese. It’s a great dish to make in the winter. I’d stick with red, orange or yellow peppers over the green as they can be a little bitter. Also, this recipe is flavorful, but not overly spicy.
More salad time …. and I have to say that I am prepared for the jokes …. this is Wurstsalat. Not the worst salad (it’s actually really good!), but Bayerischer Wurstsalat, Bavarian-Style Sausage Salad. Sure, might seem a little strange to make a salad out of sausage, but it’s yummy, refreshing and easy to make, something perfect for a Brotzeit (translation: savory snack or light meal), something that you would eat at a biergarten. There are actually many styles, predominantly from Bavaria and Switzerland, but also Austria, Swabia and even parts of France. Some include cheese as well, some have mayo. Load it only a piece of hearty bread or with a pretzel. In my part of the US, the sausage types are more limited (though that might not be the case with larger German-heritage populations) but I made do with German bologna. So bring on the worst jokes, I’ll keep eating!
Yup, a stack of bacon! It’s breakfast, right? Well this is more about technique than a recipe per se. Everyone has their own way of cooking bacon. In the pan, in the oven, even in the microwave. My method involves the oven, covering the pan with aluminum foil, and by placing the bacon on a wire rack placed on the prepared baking sheet. This increases the airflow so the bacon cooks evenly and makes it crispier, and reduces clean up and splatters in the oven. Very much a “set it and forget it” for at least 45 minutes (and then I usually check until it is the crispiness of my liking). It might not completely count as a full breakfast, but it IS bacon, so I’ll eat it! 🙂