German Frikadellen
This recipe falls under the category of “things that wouldn’t really occur to me to post on the blog”. It’s definitely not fancy, or from the New York Times, or one of those artichoke-bacon-spinach combos that people are always going crazy for. It’s pretty basic, something I make for dinner when I don’t have a lot of time and I honestly can’t think of what else to make. But as we were gobbling them down last night for dinner, along with a salad and some bread for a quick meal, and my husband kept saying, “These are really good, ” I figured, of course I should share! Let’s bring our home-style German food to the masses, shall we?!
This recipe is only a small part of what I like to call, “THE BEST GIFT EVER”. Shortly after we got married, my aunt put together a cookbook for us with all of our family recipes, including family photos and favorite recipes from 4 generations. Needless to say, the amount of love and effort that went into a feat like that is tremendous, and it’s only outdone by how awesomely practical it is to have all of my favorites in one book. Don’t I have the best family in the world?! Yes, I do.
Her recipe for frikadellen is in said cookbook, and at a glance, it’s easy to see why it’s so appealing. It’s simple to the extreme, can be ready in 15 minutes, and be served with pretty much anything to make a meal. Win! Those things make them sound boring, but they are, in reality, so tasty that we rarely have leftovers. They have just the right amount of spices to perfectly flavor the pork without being too overpowering, and the bits of onion crisp up on the outside, caramelizing and turning into sweet, crunchy little bits in the meat patties. With a smear of good mustard, served along with some potato salad or a some peppery greens (or both), there is nothing better. It’s also wonderful atop some crusty bread, eaten as a burger, too. I adapted the recipe a bit to my tastes and the size of my little family, but not much. It’s kind of perfect just how it is.
