514269 Tue Apr 29 13:29:21 -0700 2008 13 31 Home Cooking 0 3640726 Fricadellen, which are pan-sauteed patties of meatloaf-type mixture, were a staple of my German-born mother's cooking repertoire. She added chopped cooked cabbage to the seasoned beef/onion/bread/milk mixture. The cabbage "melts" into the meat, adding tender sweetness. It is not recognizable by either taste or appearance - you'd think it was onion. When I mistakenly thought I still had a cabbage wedge in the crisper, I made do with leftover coleslaw, which I rinsed, nuked, then cooled it before adding to the meat mixture. This was easier and tastier than plain cabbage. Next time, I skipped the rinsing, instead decreasing the milk a bit. Even better. Now, whenever I have coleslaw, I freeze some, thawing it the next time I make fricadellen, meatloaf, or meatballs. Freezing or cooking work equally well to break the cabbage's cell walls, which make it meld into the meat more thoroughly. I use about 3/4 cup of nuked or defrosted slaw per pound of meat, or about the same volume as the chopped onion in the recipe. If sauteeing for fricadellen or meatballs, be aware that the cabbage will scorch easily, so use medium heat and saute slowly, letting the patties/balls brown on the bottom before turning them. 4 to 5 oz patties will take 15-20 minutes total. I know that the idea of cabbage, not to mention coleslaw, in meatloaf sounds very unappealing. Take a leap of faith (you could even reserve a little of your usual mix, adding just enough slaw for one or two meatballs as a taste test). Not only is it yummy, it adds fiber and nutritional value to the diets of none-the-wiser picky eaters. Tue Apr 29 13:29:23 -0700 2008 159317 greygarious 1 3642516 This is interesting. Do you leave out the onion or just add cabbage to it? It works with slivers of cabbage, too, like in cole slaw, without more chopping? Thanks! Wed Apr 30 06:27:34 -0700 2008 3640726 39874 chowser 2 3643513 I use my usual amount of onion, just add the slaw. An extra egg is optional but will help the mixture hold together better if you use a lot of onion and slaw, as I do. It doesn't matter whether you use a plain shredded cabbage/carrot coleslaw mix, or premade chopped or shredded deli coleslaw, no additional chopping needed. Wed Apr 30 11:00:05 -0700 2008 3642516 159317 greygarious 1 3643383 Tofu works well as a "moisterizer" for meatloaf also. Wed Apr 30 10:34:52 -0700 2008 3640726 11583 ipsedixit 2 3645349 I was about to say that ips. I had the most tender meatballs ever as "Lions Heads" at a local chinese restaurant. I asked the chef owner what the secret was, and he told me it was tofu. So I've been making all kinds of meatballs with half as much (drained) tofu as meat, and it 1) stretches the meat dollar, 2) cuts the meat intake, and 3) makes great meatballs. Wed Apr 30 19:54:12 -0700 2008 3643383 181207 caviar_and_chitlins 3 3693444 C&C, do you use soft or firm tofu for this application? Going to try it in my next meatloaf, possibly tomorrow. Fri May 16 09:24:21 -0700 2008 3645349 13756 GretchenS 4 3694292 I would use the soft silken tofu in meat loaf. My mother always added silken tofu to her pork and shrimp filling for potstickers and dumplings. Fri May 16 12:48:56 -0700 2008 3693444 11646 Norm Man 4 3695601 Silken, as Norm guessed- I take the tofu, and whisk it in a bowl. Then pour into a papertowel lined strainer (over a bowl) for an hour or so, occasionally stirring. Quite a bit of liquid will accumulate in the bowl, but the tofu will still be light and fluffy- firmer tofu stays kinda chunky. Your guests/family will not have any idea why your meatballs are so tender. The proportion I use is generally 1 pound ground pork to 1/2 pound (before straining) tofu. Fri May 16 20:21:15 -0700 2008 3693444 181207 caviar_and_chitlins 1 3643821 Sounds really good - great idea for a little leftover wedge of cabbage. Will definitely give it a shot, thanks! Wed Apr 30 12:09:54 -0700 2008 3640726 63462 missfunkysoul 1 3693237 Meatballs are better with a mix of ground beef, pork and veal in equal proportions or just beef and pork. Adding egg makes them harder so my Norwegian mother didn't add egg, nor do I. My father and my late husband (Schwaben) didn't put egg in his Frikadellen either. Helmut did put Petersilie (parsley chopped fine) in his Frikadellen. You have to use meat with some fat, but not too much. The fat gives the meat more taste (all meat, not just meatballs). The meat should be ground twice on the finest disc if you are in the US for finer texture to the meatballs or Frikadellen. Here in Germany the meat is ground fine and also the Polish grocery stores grind the meat fine. Fri May 16 08:17:05 -0700 2008 3640726 143360 RevImmigrant 1 3693931 I would LOVE a new meatloaf recipe, if there is one (or two) you would recommend. Thanks! Fri May 16 11:22:32 -0700 2008 3640726 180473 imissla 1 3693993 You know what else works well? add some duck fat! Fri May 16 11:35:23 -0700 2008 3640726 29614 dude 2 3694339 mmmm duck fat! Good idea. My meatloaf and meatballs never get dry, because I dont overcook them. The meat mixture includes about a 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, a handfull of breadcrumbs, 1 egg, fresh chopped parsley, fresh chopped garlic (to taste) and oregano. The meat/fat ratio works best at about 85/15. I use this recipe for both meatloaf and meatballs and there are NEVER any leftovers. Sometimes I use the recipe and just make it into hamburgers for the grill and they're perfect every time. I am curious about the cabbage addition, however, and might try some in the next batch. Fri May 16 13:04:57 -0700 2008 3693993 102895 Cheflambo 1 3852939 I *hate* cabbage. Mostly, I think, because of its smell while it's cooking. Nonetheless, I gave this a try because it would help get a little more nutrition in my meatloaf. I was nervous, so I bought the finely shredded cabbage and chopped it up even more. I did use your suggested measurement (measured while it was still a fine shred). I really couldn't tell it was in there. I don't know if I noticed any additional moistness. My meatloaf is usually moist enough anyway. But, I'm happy I can sneak something into my food and add the nutritional value. (I guess I'm not "sneaking" if I'm making it for myself. And hubby already loves cabbage.) Thanks for the tip! Wed Jul 09 11:50:32 -0700 2008 3640726 106053 stephanieh