Meatballs in sour cream sauce
Description
The recipe won't take much time. I unexpectedly had a day off in the middle of the week. I'd been dreaming about it for so long! I imagined lounging in bed, slowly sipping a cup of coffee, and finally taking time for myself. But, as often happens, my plans crumbled the moment my friend heard I "had nothing to do." She called, asking me to watch her five-year-old (I suspect the phone connection failed just then, because she didn't hear my excuses), and ten minutes later, the child arrived at my door, clutching a metallophone. "Just half an hour!" my friend shouted as she rushed off. Yeah, right—we all know how women define "half an hour." Sigh... The little girl immediately announced she was hungry. When I asked what she'd like to eat, expecting something fruity or chocolatey, I was floored by her shout: "Meat!" Well, she must take after her dad—she'll be happy in life, I thought, and headed to the fridge. Luckily, I'd prepared some ground pork the day before. Fine, we'll treat the hungry child to meatballs in sour cream sauce. This dish is tender, filling, and beloved by kids. Plus, it's quick to make. To the beat of the metallophone, I began cooking. For the meatballs, you'll need 600 grams of any ground meat, 1 cup of rice, 1 medium onion, salt, pepper, 1 egg, a little milk and breadcrumbs, plus vegetable and butter for frying. First, boil the rinsed rice in 2 cups of salted water. While it cooks (about 15–17 minutes), prepare the meat mixture. Mix the ground meat with finely chopped (or minced) onion, season with salt and pepper, add the egg. Stir in a little breadcrumbs and milk or boiled water. Instead of breadcrumbs, you can use a couple of pieces of bread or a roll, soaked in milk and lightly squeezed. Drain the cooked rice and add it to the meat mixture. Mix everything into a uniform mass. Shape the meatballs with wet hands and place them in a pan with heated oil (a mix of a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil and butter). Fry on both sides—3 to 5 minutes per side is enough. (The metallophone fell silent in the living room, which thrilled me! Though, as I later discovered, my smile was premature. The little girl had found my lipstick and, tongue sticking out, was drawing her mutant hamster on the glass table.) While the mischievous hamster was "eating" my favorite lipstick, I (still blissfully unaware) started preparing the sour cream sauce. For the sauce, you'll need 25 grams of flour, 25 grams of butter, 250 ml of broth (you can cut corners and dissolve a stock cube), and 100 grams of sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour, and stir constantly, lightly browning it. Gradually, while stirring vigorously, pour in the broth, then add the sour cream. Simmer the sauce over low heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the meatballs, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Take out one meatball and taste. Enjoy! Serve with rice or mashed potatoes. As for me, I was facing a lipstick-covered hamster, a hungry (though not for long) child, and a couple more hours of metallophone music. Serve hot.