Janice Esther Tulk: meatballs

Recently, a friend loaned me her copy of the Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library. This sparked discussion of a few of the well-known recipes, including "Oven Porcupines," which were known in my family as "Porcupine Meatballs." Naturally, I had to try making them.

Now, I tend to think that I have a very well stocked larder and an impressive collection of herbs and spices. But this simple recipe nevertheless required a trip to Bulk Barn to get something I've only used once before in a tuna salad creation about two decades ago: celery salt. Fortunately, I was able to purchase a few tablespoons (aka a lifetime supply) for the low cost of $0.31.

Armed with my ingredients, I set about preparing this dish. I immediately ran into a problem as I mixed the ingredients and attempted to form balls -- they just wouldn't hold together. I ended up adding an egg to bind the mixture. With all of the balls formed (about 25 in total), I was ready to put them in the oven. Following the instructions, I soon encountered a second problem: the rice wasn't cooking. After an hour, it was still crunchy. I added more water. I left the meatballs in the oven for additional cook time. I cursed under my breath. I cursed loudly. Eventually they were edible, but they definitely did not cook in the time outlined in the recipe. I ate them with some brown rice and broccoli.

If I were to make these again, I would probably ignore the instruction to use "regular" rice and instead swap it for converted (parboiled) rice to ensure that the rice cooked in a reasonable time. (It's worth noting that the new version of this recipe on the Betty Crocker website does just that -- more on that in a moment.) I'll admit that I was surprised to find that the half teaspoon of celery salt did make a difference and gave the meatballs a delicious, unexpected flavour. So, it's worth the trip to the store to buy it if you don't already have it.

Now, if you're curious to try these yourself, here is the original recipe. Beware! The new version on the Betty Crocker website is nothing like the original (calling for Multi-Bran Chex cereal) and the reviews are not good. And definitely consider using converted rice to make your life easier.