Meatballs for Goodness

New season of GHL Celebrating Chef George's 25th anniversary on PBS and Public TV Stations. Check local listings. Click to watch TV Series Preview

After all these years, my nana's meatball recipe is still nurturing and comforting. I am delighted to share once again a simple recipe filled with goodness. Thank you nana for teaching me the essentials of a recipe, even those ingredients not listed here. 

Nana’s Meatballs, as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

Makes 12 Jumbo, 24 large or 40 mini meatballs

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

3 pounds ground beef, 80 / 20 blend; can use combo of beef, pork, and veal

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 sweet onion, chopped fine

2 eggs, cracked and beaten

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 cups day old Italian bread, pulsed into crumbs

1/2 cup chicken broth, to soften bread crumbs (variable amount may have to add more broth just to soften crumbs) 

Fresh ground black pepper

* Note all ingredients should be very cold before blending. 

In a mixer or by hand mix all ingredients until well blended. Dip hands in ice water before shaping into round balls.

Spray an oven-roasting pan with grease spray.

Use an ice cream and scoop up meatballs; roll by hand until they are shaped round. Do not over handle as to not over warm up meat. Repeat until all meat is used up. Do not over crowd meatballs to make it easier to move them while baking. 

Refrigerate meatballs for at least 30 minutes to chill. Prepare Tomato Sauce below.

Pre heat a large heavy gauge sauté pan to high heat, or if making a large quantity of meatballs brown in a hot oven at 425 degrees F. 

Roast meatballs for five minutes in oven or on stovetop just until they begin to brown. If roasting gently shake pan to move meatballs to turn over, or use a spatula for meatballs if browning in sauté pan. Continue cooking for a few additional minutes (or less if mini) or until meatballs are brown on the outside. Meatballs will not be fully cooked and will continue to cook in tomato sauce. 

Remove meatballs with a spatula and add to gently simmering sauce and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes. 

For the Tomato Sauce:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 

1/2 cup minced sweet onion

6 cloves garlic, minced 

2 (28 ounce) cans crushed San Marzano Tomatoes

2 (6.5 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon oregano

Fresh ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons each fresh chopped parsley and basil

In a large saucepot sauté add olive oil, onion, and garlic over medium heat until light brown. Stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with dried basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, pepper, and half of the parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked browned meatballs and top with fresh chopped parsley and basil before serving. 

sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Add to Cart

Short Ribs Far East Style

New season of GHL releasing Oct 1st. Celebrating Chef George's 25th anniversary on PBS and Public TV Stations. Check local listings. Click to watch TV Series Preview

Summer may bring visions of slabs of pork ribs sizzling on the grill, but what do you do when the first chill arrives ? Simply take to the art of braising. Its long, slow cooking that infuses flavor by caramelizing the meat and vegetables; creating the makings of a full flavorful sauce. One of my good friends makes a classical version, which is excellent and tempting to prepare; but I'm offering a different flavor here today, which has been a viewer favorite- with a savory and sweet spin. Enjoy!

Short Ribs of Beef with Orange Ginger Sauce

Makes four servings 

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

4 pounds beef short ribs, bone in 

1/4 cup flour, for coating beef short ribs 

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

4 cloves garlic, sliced thin 

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 

1 leek, whites only cut into one inch pieces 

2 teaspoons sesame oil 

2 teaspoons sherry 

2 teaspoons soy sauce 

juice of one orange 

1 1/2 cups beef broth 

Coat beef ribs with flour, shaking off any excess. 

Preheat a braising or sauce pot to medium high temperature. Add olive oil and sear beef short ribs until well browned, turning only once on each side. 

Drain any excess oil. Lower temperature of pot, add garlic, ginger, leeks, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce, orange juice and beef broth. Bring sauce up to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2- 2 hours or until meat is beginning to fall away from the bone. 

When short ribs are fully cooked, remove meat from pot. Raise the temperature of the sauce to a low boil. Reduce the sauce to naturally thicken. 

Serve with steamed dumplings and stir-fry vegetables.

sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Add to Cart

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Quantity:

Add to Cart

Lá Fhéile Pádraig

That's Gaelic for Saint Patrick's Day or St. Paddy's. It's one of those days of the year where we all wear green, feel a wee bit Irish and spread good cheer. In honor of the irish holiday; Pionta Guinness, le do thoil. Sláinte! That's, a pint of Guinness please and cheers!

Lamb Shanks an Potatoes

Makes four servings 

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

4 whole lamb shanks
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup carrots, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup peas, frozen
1/4 cup celery, chopped
10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
2 cups mashed potatoes

Preheat large saucepan.

Add olive oil and brown meat on all sides.  Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery and cook until light brown.  

Add vinegar and reduce for two minutes.  Add tomato sauce, broth, rosemary and thyme.  Cover and cook meat for two hours at a gentle simmer.  

The lamb shanks are fully cooked when the meat becomes flaky and shrinks away from the bone. Add peas to the lamb shanks and vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes longer.  

Serve the cooked Lamb Shanks with sauce and vegetables on top of hot, steamy smashed potatoes, go all out with my Mousseline Potatoes!

sold out

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Quantity:

Add to Cart

5 SPICE New York Strip Rubbed Steak

Grilling a good steak is easy, grilling a good steak with stellar results requires a couple of simple steps. My signature rub will enhance virtually any meat. Here it's used to great effect on strip steaks, but is equally good on rib eye, porterhouse, and sirloin. 

5 SPICE New York Strip Rubbed Steak

Makes 4 to 8 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle  

1 Tablespoon each: sweet paprika, powdered garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, black pepper

2 Tablespoons Turbinado sugar ("sugar in the raw")

2 (32—36 ounce) boneless New York strip steaks, cut 2-inch thick

Olive oil

2 cloves of fresh garlic, thinly sliced

Black pepper, to taste

Pinch sea salt

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, cut into 4 pieces 

Combine spices, herbs, pepper and sugar. Rub all over steaks and refrigerate for one hour to overnight.

Remove rubbed steaks from refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Drizzle each with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic, pepper and salt. 

Preheat grill to high. 

When it's hot, place steaks on grill and top each one with a piece of rosemary. After 2 minutes lift the steaks, using tongs or steak spatula, and rotate them 45 degrees to make crosshatch marks. After 2 to 3 minutes, remove but do not discard rosemary, turn the steaks over and move them to the cooler edges of the grill, or lower the heat to medium. Replace rosemary sprigs, and continue cooking until the meat is done. (An instant-read thermometer will read 125 for rare, 130 for medium-rare, 140 for medium.) Avoid turning the steaks over several times.

Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary and olive oil before serving. 

sold out

Add to Cart

Low and Slow Beef Short Ribs

This is a warming, one-pot-dish which is so full of flavor. The key to this fall off the bone, melt in your mouth beef dish is a slow, and low braise. The delicious aroma it creates in the kitchen is an added bonus. Enjoy.

I invite you to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel, enjoy + Like as you view

Low and Slow Beef Short Ribs

Makes four servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

4 pounds Beef short ribs, bone-in

1/4 cup flour, for coating beef short ribs

1 teaspoon each dried thyme and oregano

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1/4 sweet white onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup fennel, chopped

1 leek, whites-only cut into one-inch pieces

2 Tablespoons crushed red tomatoes

2 cups full-body red wine

1 1/2 cups beef broth

2 bay leaves

fresh ground pepper to taste

- Coat beef ribs with thyme, oregano, rosemary, sea salt, and flour, shaking off any excess. 

- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

- Preheat a heavy gauge oven-proof braising or cast iron skillet on the stovetop to medium-high temperature.

- Add olive oil and sear beef short ribs until well browned, turning only once on each side. Drain any excess oil.

Lower temperature of pot, add garlic, onion, leeks, carrots, and fennel. Cook at medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

- Add tomatoes and cook two minutes, then add red wine, simmer, reduce down by half. Add beef broth and bring the temperature up to a simmer, add short ribs back into the pot. Bring the sauce up to a boil, cover, and place pot in the oven. Cook for 3 hours covered, then uncover for one additional hour, or until meat begins to fall away from the bone.

- When short ribs are fully cooked, allow the meat to cool and "rest" for 30 minutes inside the sauce. Remove meat from the pot. Skim any fat or grease from the top of sauce. Raise the temperature of the sauce to a low boil, reduce the sauce to naturally thicken.

- Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. 

Tip:

Cooking short ribs low and slow at 250 degrees F keeps the flavorful juices inside the meat. If really pressed for time cook at 350 degrees, but there will be some loss of flavor as the natural juices boils out of the meat. 

sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

Add to Cart

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

Quantity:

Add to Cart