Pantry Meals - Week 15 "Meatballs"

Basic Raw Wheat Meat (The Meatballs)

10 cups whole wheat flour 5 cups water Ground Beef, Meatball / Hamburger Patty Variation 2 1/2 cups moderately packed ground gluten 2 TBS beef soup base 2 TBS vegetable oil 2 eggs 2 TBS white flour 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. onion powder, (or either 2 1/2 TBS dried onion flakes or 1/4 cup chopped onion for better texture)

I. Mixing Combine the flour and the water in the mixing bowl. Using the dough hook, knead for 5 minutes. It’s not necessary to be precise on the measurements of flour and water, what’s needed is for it to become the consistency of bread dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap (so it doesn’t dry out) and let it rest in the refrigerator or cool place for 20 minutes to allow the gluten to develop.

II. Washing After the dough has rested, divide into 1/4th’s and work with one portion at a time, keeping the rest covered while you work. Place a piece of dough in a large colander which is, in turn, placed in a larger bowl of cold water. While keeping it immersed in the water at all times, stretch and compress the dough, trying to keep it intact while the bran and starch are washed out. Very quickly the mass will resemble bubble gum in texture to the point that it’s difficult to keep together. The “rubbery glob” you now have should be rinsed briefly in a bowl of fresh cold water and then placed in another bowl. What you have is raw wheat meat, or gluten.

III. Baking Take the raw wheat gluten and form into balls the size of an orange. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until the balls are firm and leathery. (The tough leathery texture helps to give the meaty texture when it’s ground.) You don’t want the balls to get crusty, just firm and leathery, so be sure and keep an eye on it if your oven runs hot.

IV. Grinding Remove from oven and let cool. Tear into pieces and put through a meat grinder. When ground, it has the appearance of ground beef. A food processor may be used but the texture won’t be the same.

V. Seasoning, Mixing and Baking to Use Mix the ground gluten together with the other above mentioned ingredients in a medium bowl. For meatballs, form balls a little smaller than a walnut. For “hamburgers” form into desired larger sized patties. The mixture should be quite moist, add another egg if it’s too dry. Bake in a 300 degree oven just until the eggs are set. Do not overbake!

VI. Serving For spaghetti and meatballs, heat spaghetti sauce and cook pasta. Add the meatballs to the sauce at the last minute just before serving and heat through. Don’t overcook or your meatballs will begin falling apart. Serve on top of hot cooked pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.