Seasonal Pantry: Caul fat the secret to great meatballs

Caul fat, a thin membrane of fat that surrounds the internal organs of many animals, has for a long time been in the domain only of the professional chef, available only from distributors in large quantities. It wasn’t always this way. Caul fat has been used for centuries and appears in one of the world’s earliest cookbooks, “De Re Coquinaria,” written nearly two thousand years ago.

The book includes recipes for “minces,” chopped meat formed into balls and wrapped in omentum, or caul fat: meatballs!

As I worked on my most recent book, “More Than Meatballs,” I wasn’t aware of the ancient use but was thrilled to learn that caul fat was now available in small quantities at retail markets such as Thistle Meats in Petaluma and Sonoma County Meat Co. in Santa Rosa. I began reworking recipes to use caul fat instead of eggs, flour and breadcrumbs to coat the outsides of the little bundles of meat and other ingredients.

I did this for several reasons. First, I had tried venison crepinettes many years ago, little rounds of minced and seasoned meat wrapped in caul fat and flattened a bit, so they looked like tiny burgers. They were so delicious and I loved the contribution of the membrane, both the way it held the meat in its shape and the luscious flavor and texture it added.

My second consideration was that I was simply not happy with other options. Meatballs rolled in egg and then flour or breadcrumbs turned out well but it was a challenge to get them all to maintain their shape, especially when cooking large batches, and retain their succulence. I wanted something better.

Finally, caul fat appealed to me as a way of wrapping a meatball in something that was naturally gluten free, not because I avoid gluten but because many close friends do.

When I learned that Thistle Meats had crepinettes, I called and asked if they sold caul fat. They did, and I set out to retest recipes using it. Its availability transformed the book and, without my realizing it at the time, connected it to the meatball’s earliest history.

When caul fat is stretched out into a single layer, as it should be when you use it, it resembles a lace curtain, with veins of fat weaving between a tissue of transparent fat that you can barely see. Sometime the membrane tears but it is, overall, remarkably resilient and easy to use.

When using caul fat, chopped foods can be formed into any shape you like, from small round balls, finger-sized sausages, any size patties and even meatloaf. It can also be used to wrap roasts such as pork loin, which lacks marbling, and grass-fed beef, which sometimes needs a bit of extra fat.

When caul fat is cooked, much of the fat melts away and remains in the pan, though the thinnest portion of the membrane remains in place, creating a luscious little enclosure that keeps flavors in. When you bite into such a morsel, there is a tiny bit of resistance, followed by a burst of juicy flavor.

We have the new butchery movement to thank for freeing caul fat from its restaurant kitchen confines. The honoring of the entire animal, part of the commitment of this new generation of butchers, puts parts of animals once hidden from retail sales within the reach of home cooks. And once you get the hang of working with caul fat - it doesn’t take long - you won’t want to be without it.

If you shop at a locally owned market with a meat counter, check with your butcher if he can order caul fat for you before you drive a distance. If you can’t find it, Thistle Meats and Sonoma County Meat Co. should be able to take care of you. I buy it a pound at a time and it doesn’t cost much, maybe $6. A pound wraps about 300 meatballs and one meatloaf and keeps well in the freezer.

(To make meatloaf or meatballs entirely free of gluten without using gluten-free bread, simply omit that ingredient or use cooked quinoa instead.)

It was important to have a chicken meatball in “More Than Meatballs” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014) but I did not want to duplicate what I’d seen so often, breast meat minced and seasoned to resemble more traditional meatballs made with beef and pork. Inspiration came when I watched the first episode of season four of “Mad Men,” when a newly single Don Draper takes a date to a restaurant and orders Chicken Kiev for himself and his date. I used thigh meat instead of breast meat and inserted a nubbin of garlic butter into each ball before wrapping it. The result was a succulent, flavorful appetizer that should be served with plenty of napkins. This recipe is adapted from one in the book. <

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Chicken Kiev Meatballs

Makes about 16 meatballs

- Garlic Butter, see Note below

1 pound chicken thigh and/or leg meat, minced or ground

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley or snipped fresh chives

1 egg, beaten

3 ounces, approximately, caul fat

1 tablespoon olive oil, if not using a nonstick pan

- Fresh pea shoots, small-leaf arugula or other small fresh green

First, make the garlic butter and refrigerate it.

After grinding the chicken, put it into a medium mixing bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and the egg and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour.

To fill, set the butter on a clean work surface.

Set the caul fat on another clean work surface and cut it into 16 equal pieces that are as circular as possible. (Do not worry if they are not even.)

Fill a 1-ounce ice cream scoop with the chilled chicken mixture. Working quickly, cut off a nubbin of butter, about ½-teaspoon’s worth, and press it into the center of the mixture. Use your fingers to press the chicken mixture around the butter, pinching to seal it.

Set the ball on a piece of caul fat, wrap the fat around it securely and set it on a tray.

When all of the balls have been made, freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to three hours.

To finish the meatballs, set a large, heavy skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. When the pan is hot, lower the heat to medium, add half the meatballs and cook for 30 seconds. Shake the pan to rotate the balls or, if you are not comfortable shaking the pan, use tongs to turn them. Continue until the balls are evenly browned. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.

While the balls cook, spread the greens over a serving platter.

Put the cooked meatballs on the greens, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and cook the remaining balls.

Alternately, serve the meatballs in martini or similar glasses, 2 per serving, with fresh greens in the bottom of the glass.

Serve immediately, with toothpicks and napkins.

Note: To make garlic butter, allow 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter to come up to room temperature. Peel 3 plump garlic cloves and pass them through a garlic press. Mix the pressed garlic with the butter, add a pinch of salt, a turn of black pepper and 2 teaspoons of minced fresh Italian parsley and mix thoroughly. Chill well before using.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 18 books to date, including the new “More Than Meatballs.” Email Jordan at michele@saladdresser.com. You’ll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.