Curly Mustard Greens and Italian Sausage Meatballs | Cook With Haley

http://thehistoryhacker.com/2013/04/17/texas-secedes/ After all of the hustle of Thanksgiving comes to a close, you may reflect on all of the lofty Thanksgiving culinary goals you achieved, you may have already run out of left over turkey, you may be craving something a little more….er….grounded, especially before ramping back up for round 2 of the holiday season. This recipe for Curly Mustard Greens and Italian Sausage Meatballs features spicy curly mustard greens from Green Gate Farms in Austin.

http://debashishbanerji.com/translations/jibanananda/night-of-the-wind/ When I tasted these greens raw I knew I wanted to play with the spicy kick at the back of the throat from these fall greens. I thought of substituting spicy greens for the minced parsley that is often added to meatballs. The challenge then became balancing the bitterness, enter Italian sausage.

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Curly mustard greens and Italian sausage meatballs mise en place.

In the old days, home cooks often boiled mustard greens to reduce the bitterness. While that is an option, it removes a lot of the wonderful flavor and nutrients in these beautiful greens.

In this recipe, I chose to mince these greens, saute a portion of them in a balsamic vinegar reduction to add directly to the meatballs. I also include a bit of fresh greens minced up in the meatballs to use that great spicy kick as a subtle feature of the dish.

Wilting some of the greens will reduce some of the bitter and spicy flavors. Reduce vinegar to au sec (nearly dry).

The fat added to the meatballs from the Italian Sausage helps to balance out any bitterness in the greens. I also like to keep these little guys small so that they are only two bites for adults. This also makes them more manageable for little humans to consume.

Form Italian sausage and beef mixture into 1/2″ balls. Sear meat balls on all sides in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan!

My 4 year old at 4 of these, even after he noticed the “salad” in them. Between the kiddos and adults popping these little delectable treats like candy, you will most certainly run out, so consider doubling this batch! Serve these with a simple bed of white or wild rice, pene or rotini pasta, or even on a bed of mushroom risotto or cheesy polenta.

Space about 1 inch apart in 9×13″ baking dish. Top with freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese. Serve with white rice or pene pasta.

Serves: 4-6 Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes