Family First!

Sauerbraten Meatballs (James’ Great-Grandmother’s Recipe)(Also Henry’s new adopted Great-Grandmother’s Recipe):

1 ½ ground chuck (I use 1 lb. gr. turkey and ½ lb. gr. beef)

Mix with onion, 1 egg, s & p

¼ c. bread crumbs - ⅓ c. milk

Make small patties, about 3” across and thicker than a hamburger.

Brown well in little oil.

Remove patties - In same pan make sauce-

⅓ c. Vinegar - 1 ½ cups water - few bay leaves 10 or more whole cloves - about 10 gingersnaps ½ tsp. salt. 1 or 2 bouillon cubes - simmer about 1 hr. or bake 350º

(A note to my dad on the other side of the card)

I use the turkey meat because of no fat. By browning the meat well, you get a richer sauce. The gingersnaps (yes, cookies) thicken the gravy. You will learn by experience the taste. You may want more spices, or more vinegar etc. The sauce will taste sour but when it is put over the meat, the meat will absorb the vinegar and it will no longer be to sour.

The last batch I made was the best ever with the turkey meat.

Analysis:

Processed:

Gingersnaps

Whole Grain (Non-Processed)

½ lb. gr. beef

1 lb. gr. turkey

⅓ c. milk

¼ c. bread crumbs

1 ½ cups water

⅓ c. Vinegar

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

10 bay leaf cloves

Analysis of the analysis:

We put a lot of these ingredients under non-processed because of the time period that it came from. James’ Great Grandmother grew up with this recipe during the Great Depression making it hard for her to get any processed version of the ingredients listed above. The Gingersnaps were definitely processed. But most things would have been easily accessible back then. Today, most, if not all of the ingredients are mass produced and altered to the point where they bear little resemblance to the original product. With the exception of James’ eggs because they are produced in his backyard. :D