Versatile Ground Meat Works Menu Magic
Ground meat is the basis for a great variety of popular dishes. It’s a top favorite, from savory sausage patties for a hearty breakfast to a glamorous meat loaf for a festive dinner party. Whatever the menu, the economy, simplicity of preparation and versatility in serving explain the universal appeal of ground meat to homemakers.
Ground beef, veal, pork or lamb, or a combination of these, provides a meat dish for every taste. With the meat as the foundation of the recipe, other ingredients are often added to introduce flavor variety.
SEASONINGS TO CHOOSE. Basic proportions for the more common seasonings are 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped onion for each pound of meat. Sage, thyme, marjoram, cayenne pepper, celery salt, Chili powder, curry powder, paprika, mustard, cloves and nutmeg are some of the commonly used herbs and spices. When experimenting with new combinations, it is advisable to use these seasonings cautiously until the proportions which have the greatest flavor appeal are discovered. A good rule to follow is ⅛ teaspoon per pound of ground meat for the stronger seasonings, ¼ teaspoon per pound of ground meat for the more mild seasonings.
OTHER INGREDIENTS TO ADD. Toasted or plain enriched white, whole wheat or rye bread; cracker crumbs; and rolled oats, rice or other cereals may be combined with the ground meat. Grated or mashed potatoes or carrots, peas, and grated apple are also occasional ingredients. The proportion of these foods added to the ground meat may vary but should be kept relatively small for the best meat flavor. Enough liquid—milk, water, vegetable juices, soup stock, canned or cooked tomatoes, tomato catchup—will be needed to moisten the mixture, and egg is necessary to hold the ingredients together.
WAYS TO SERVE. Meat loaves and meat balls are perhaps the most usual ways in which ground meat mixtures are served. To add variety, the meat mixture may be baked in large or individual ring molds, muffin pans, or in various shapes for individual loaves. Potatoes, green peppers, onions, egg plant and squash are a few of the vegetables that lend themselves to a meat stuffing. Ground meat and vegetable combinations are often prepared as fritters. Ground meat mixtures (principally meat with herbs or spices for seasoning) appear on the menu as meat patties; meat sauces for macaroni, spaghetti, noodles and rice; meat drumsticks; fillings for meat pies or tarts; toppings for meat shortcakes, and as favorite casserole dishes.
