Reuben Sandwich Meatballs

Melsand's Note:

I was invited to an Oktoberfest party and wanted to bring some little open-faced Reuban sandwiches but thought they might become soggy while in transit, so I thought maybe I could use the Reuban ingredients to make a Reuban meatball instead. These turned out great! I tried two different versions. This is the first version. For the second version, I added the breadcrumbs into the meat mixture instead of breading & frying, then rolled the mixture into tight balls, froze them on a cookie sheet, then baked them. Both versions were loved by my group, but I think the fried version was more popular. I think the fried version is a little more like the method used to cook Weiner Schnitzel, so maybe a little more Austrian but not quite so healthy. Serve with Thousand Island salad dressing for dipping. The men in our group really loved this recipe so I intend to use this for our next Super Bowl party.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 24.0 balls

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 1 cup cooked ham , finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups corned beef , finely chopped
• ½ garlic clove , crushed
• 2 tablespoons German mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sauerkraut , drained and minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley , chopped
• ½ cup beef broth
• 1 egg
• 2 cups milk
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 cups fine dry breadcrumbs
• 1 quart oil
• 4 cups thousand island dressing

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Stir in ham, corned beef and garlic. Cook mixture, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Stir in 6 tablespoons flour and cook mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
2. Stir in sauerkraut, parsley, and broth, mustard and Worcestershire sauce; cook for 3 minutes or until thickened and paste-like. Spread mixture on a platter and chill for at least 3 hours.
3. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and 2 1/2 cups flour. Shape the sauerkraut mixture by level teaspoons into tightly-packed balls, dip them into the egg mixture and roll them in the bread crumbs.
4. Fry balls in batches for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with Thousand Island salad dressing for dipping.