Well, January is turning out to be a month of unfinished business for Dirty Laundry Kitchen. I still owe the rest of the Hot! Tamale Dinner Party that I did for Christmas this year. And these Lemony Leek Meatballs are the last dish from my New Year’s Eve Party. The good news is that even though it’s late, I think you’ll enjoy the recipe all winter long. And it would be a great Super Bowl Party snack as well. As a little background on the recipe, I’m in love with my new book, Jerusalem. In fact, you’re getting a whole Jerusalem dinner party menu sometime soon. These meatballs were tasty and tender and light in flavor and great both warm and at room temperature. I highly recommend them. I made some modifications from the original, and I think they make things a touch easier, as well as a touch healthier. I doubled the recipe and formed them into true meatballs rather than the patties Jerusalem describes, mostly because I served them at a cocktail party and wanted quantity. And while there were many Lemony Leek Meatballs, they went fast!

6 trimmed leeks (over three pounds)
1 ¼  pounds ground beef
1 ½  cups bread crumbs
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
zest of two lemons
2 tablespoons sunflower oil (if you’re frying)
2 – 4 cups chicken stock (enough to cover)
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

garnish, optional:
⅓ cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
¼ cup pomegranate seeds for garnish

Cut the leeks into ¾ inch slices, rinse well. Steam until tender (20-30 minutes). Drain and cool; then squeeze out any residual water with a tea towel (there’s a lot of water, so don’t skip this step). Pulse in a food processor a few times until well chopped but not mushy. In a large bowl, mix together the leeks, meat, bread crumbs, eggs, salt, lemon zest, and pepper. Form the mix into 1-inch meatballs. Let rest 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats to 375° F.  Place on a baking sheet evenly spaced. (I tried it both pan fried and baked in the oven- you could taste a slight difference, and the extra oil did make them a little tastier, but it was a very slight difference and the oven method is not only healthier, it’s a lot easier. Bake them 40 minutes, turning 2-3 times. If you want to make ahead, at this point, you can refrigerate the baked meatballs. When you’re ready to serve, pour over enough stock to almost, but not quite cover the meatballs (I had to use more than the original recipe, since I made the meatballs, which are taller than the patties). Add the lemon juice and season with salt depending on your stock. Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and sit aside to cool down. Serve the meatballs just warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of the yogurt and a sprinkle of the parsley and pomegranates.