Jerk Chicken Balls

Name: Jerk Chicken Balls
Yield: Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 pound ground chicken, preferably thigh meat; 1 pound ground pork; 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 large eggs; 2 habanero chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme; 3 scallions, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 3/4 cup bread crumbs

January 24, 2012

Packed with jerk flavor and just the right amount of spice to keep you wanting more, these balls pair perfectly with sweet Mango Raisin Chutney (page 68). If you want to take the heat up a notch, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Serve them over some fluffy white rice with Honey-Roasted Carrots with Prunes, Walnuts, and Mint (page 89). All that’s left is to put on some Bob Marley and chill out with some friends and a cold Red Stripe.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground chicken, preferably thigh meat

1 pound ground pork

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 habanero chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup bread crumbs

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9 × 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
Step 2
Combine the ground chicken, ground pork, brown sugar, salt, eggs, chiles, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cayenne (if using), thyme, scallions, soy sauce, garlic, and bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
Step 3
Roll the mixture into round, golf ball–size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching each other.
Step 4
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
Step 5
Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation. Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick. Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.

TagsMeatball Ground Chicken Chicken Poultry Ground Pork Pork Meat Main Dinner Nut Free Dairy Free Easy Weeknight Meals Roast Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Recipe notes