The Birth of a Wonton

Ok, so I've expounded on the virtues of the Thai Meatball but I haven't explained how easy it is for this simple delight to morph into another tasty morsel equally revered in many a kitchen. With a quick intermission to set the stage with the appropriate utensils and a clean area to work, the costume change makes this meatball recognizable to the public at large as, you guessed it, the beloved stuffed Wonton.

In secret-spy fashion, Ketsana leaned in close and quietly explained how the Thai Meatball is really a stuffed wonton without its coat. In the same mind meld session where she discloses the secrets of Pork and Tofu soup, she casually mentions that wonton soup is really just another movie with the same cast: a deep rich chicken broth, veggies of your choice and of course, fresh or frozen stuffed wontons.

Putting it all together is where the fun happens and where it may also be desirable to have a little help in the kitchen to make this a quick and painless experience. If you have kids, maybe not so quick or painless, but it will be fun for them and perhaps an opportunity to introduce a new take on an old favorite, pasta and meatballs. They will feel proud and maybe even willing to try something new they helped to create. If you have to do it on your own, no worries, since it's often the case for me, too. I make sure to have everything ready and within reach before getting started. You won't need much except the following:

Helpful, but not necessary tools:
Cookie sheet
Pastry brush
Small bowl of water
Small army of little kitchen munchkins (kids love to help with this part!)

Ingredients:
Wonton wrappers
Thai Meatballs (see Thai Meatballs-Your New Best Friend)

1. Lay out wrappers. For this exercise, let's assume you have the Thai meatballs ready to go, either freshly made or still frozen from your freezer (no need to thaw, if frozen). On a cookie sheet, lay wonton wrappers flat and brush the edge of each wrapper lightly with your pastry brush dipped in a little water to moisten the edges, working with no more than 8 wrappers at a time. This will moisten the edge enough to ensure the wontons seal properly and don't lose their meatball during the cooking process. I'm a slowpoke and find that working with fewer wontons ensures that I get them all sealed before drying out. Oh, and if you don't have a pastry brush, improvise by using your finger to moisten the edges.
   
2. Add the meatball and seal. Place a meatball into the center of each wrapper and either fold the edges over to seal and make a triangle or just squish the ends together to seal tightly. No need to be Rambo, just make sure the edges stick together and can keep the meatball tucked neatly inside. If you do it assembly-line style, it goes quicker and one person can be laying out wrappers, moistening the edges while another places the meatball and seals the edges. Again, work with fewer at a time to get the hang of it. You don't want the wrappers to dry out and get brittle. To ensure they stay flexible, keep the unused wrappers covered with a damp, not wet, paper towl and cover the finished wontons lightly with a kitchen towel until you are done. Whatever method works for you, but the end goal is to keep them all from drying out before you're done making the rest.
3. Freeze for later use. Once done, keep out what you need for tonight's meal, if any, and set the entire tray of extra wontons into the freezer to flash freeze for 20 minutes. Just make sure that the wontons aren't touching or on top of one another since the purpose of this step is to allow the wontons to freeze separately (that's right, just like we did with the meatballs) so that later, you can take out just what you need without having to defrost a block of wontons when you only need a few. After 20 minutes or once frozen, remove the wontons from the tray, put in a freezer bag or container, seal and pop back in the freezer for later use. Remember, when adding frozen wontons to a soup, no need to thaw them out first. They will float right to the surface (just like the Thai Meatballs) when they are fully cooked, whether used fresh or frozen.
   

Tip: As for how many wrappers, what size, etc. I usually use the thin square wrappers. Experiment with what works best for you. If the meatballs are too large, they'll bust right out of their coats so you always want to choose a wrapper that will easily fit the meatball and allow you to get a good seal around the edges. Also, whatever meatballs you have leftover can go safely back into the freezer for later use. Just use the flash-freeze method I mentioned above to freeze them separately for 20 minutes (making sure the meatballs aren't touching or they'll freeze together that way) and then put into a freezer bag or container for storing in the freezer. And if they happen to stick together and freeze that way, don't worry, they'll separate when cooked so don't try to pull them apart.

Maybe you've already guessed but, a potsticker is nothing but a stuffed wonton in a round wrapper that has been crimped around the edges to make it look pretty. These bad boys can be steamed, thrown into a soup or pan fried and served with your favorite dipping sauce such as a Thai pesto made with holy basil or even a simple sweet and sour. Talk about versatility. Need an appetizer for guests that just popped in, a soup to start your dining extravaganza or just a late night nibbly? You'll have it all on hand by always making more than you really need. If you're going to do the work anyway, make an extra batch to make it all worthwhile.

Thai Meatballs-Your New Best Friend

I can't describe the pure joy in making stuffed wontons, but it isn't the wonton itself as much as it is the ingenius way the ingredients can be used in other ways and repurposed for later use. The true rockstar of this concert is the pork meatball, what I call the Thai meatball, tucked into the folds of a protective wonton wrapper. It puts frozen wontons to disgrace and the difference is enough to make you don a scarlet W on your breast for shame should you have to sacrifice or settle for less.

Now, I admit, the effort to make your own meatball stuffed wontons for Wonton Soup or Pork and Tofu soup which sports nothing but it's bare meatball as the star of the show, is a bit of a time-stretch for the already overburdened parent or busy independent, but I can tell you that with a little planning and maybe an extra pair of helping hands, this potential "together" event will make it all worthwhile. In the end, you will have meatballs for soup and if you go the distance, stuffed wontons and meatballs which will store perfectly well in the freezer until you need them. First round of effort, making the meatballs, second round of effort, fast, wholesome food that can be whipped up in under ten minutes. Now, that sounds rewarding, doesn't it?

In my kitchen, where I have the luxury of a soux chef by way of my delightful ( and quite delicious himself, I might add) husband, Frank, we turned out two trays of meatballs in about 40 minutes. Not such bad prep time, even for myself, the biggest dilly dallier of them all. Here's how we do it:

Meatballs
1 lb beef round, cut or cubed into managable pieces
1.5 lb pork tenderloin, cut or cubed into managable pieces
16 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
caramelized onions, recipe follows

Caramelized Onions
1 tbsp sesame oil, vegetable oil, butter or rendered fat
1 lg onion, diced

1. Caramelize the onions. Don't worry, you can't really screw it up unless you burn it and even then that may not be so bad. The reality of this is that we're looking for the flavor of the onions and as long as they are cooked down and golden brown, it isn't a big deal if they're a little crispy-burnt on the edges and I kinda like them that way. To do this, simply put a tbsp of oil, butter or fat of some kind in a medium skillet over high heat and add the diced onions. Stir every minute or two to keep them moving in the pan and also to keep them from sticking. This step takes about 10-15 minutes or so, but believe me, it's worth it. If pressed for time, do a quick sweat of the onions but the subtlety of flavor is better with caramelized onions. Set them aside to cool and begin the meatballs.
2. Make the meatball mixture. I grind the ingredients above in a medium sized food processor in two smaller batches. I start with the 8 garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp black pepper. I pulse to mince the garlic and then add half the beef and half the pork. If it's easier, you can do a ratio of one to one for the beef and pork, but I find that the extra pork in the ratio keeps the meatball tender. No need to overgrind the meat so once you've got it ground, transfer meat mixture to a large bowl and repeat step 2 for your second batch with the remaining ingredients.
3. Make the meatballs. Add the caramelized onions to the meat mixture and once incorporated, begin making meatballs with either your hands or a small spoon or mellon baller and drop them onto a metal cookie sheet. Two mellon ballers and a helper makes short work of this step. Once done, keep out what you need for tonight's meal, if any, and place the rest of the cookie sheet(s) in the freezer for 20 minutes to flash freeze. This step allows the meatballs to set and freeze separately. This way, you can store them in a freezer bag or container and take out only what you need instead of having to defrost a big block of meatballs because they won't come apart. Been there, done that. This way works for me.

Tip: If cooking meatballs for soup or stew, they will float to the surface when fully cooked and can be tossed in fully frozen, no thawing necessary. How cool is that? Remember, too, that pork is the other white meat but also tends to maintain some pinkness when cooked correctly. Don't overcook it thinking the beef is still rare. Truly, when they float, they are done.