Meyer Lemon & Coriander Meatball Soup

If you begin with good ingredients it is almost impossible to fuck up.

Start with quality ground beef. Meat you can believe in.

Less is truly more if it has heart, soil and grass that stands up behind it.

Salt and pepper

An egg.

Mix and shape.

Forget and remember this isn’t step one and put them back in the refrigerator. Maybe some in the freezer?

Go to the actual starting place

A Saucepan to toast a teaspoon or so of coriander seeds.

Dry or in coconut oil. Or butter.

Toast until you smell them then add an inch of water.

Find your star anise

Throw one or two in with some ginger, an onion, garlic, a little tamari,

Aleppo pepper or black pepper or crushed red pepper. Whatever you have in there. Or are willing to buy.

Salt. Always salt. Maybe celtic grey salt, a wet salt, that nourishes without drying.

After all it’s not the salt but the sugar’s gonna kill us.

Simmer.

Simmer until it looks close to syrup.

Place your meatballs in the liquid. They won’t be submerged. You’ll turn them.

Cook on low.

If you like a strong flavored broth, leave everything in the pan and continue to build from here.

If you favor a lighter broth, pull out meatballs and rinse your pan before moving on.

When I am good, I make stock.

From beef

From chicken

From vegetables.

Sometimes I am together and I freeze this for moments like now.

Sometimes I buy stock. I will not be shamed for this. I will not shame myself for this.

Simmer a few cups of stock...chicken? If you have it.

Add ½ bunch of torn kale.

Throw meatballs back in.

When you put it in a bowl,

If it is winter,

And you have a meyer lemon,

Squeeze a wedge on top.

Don’t burn your mouth

Or else your day will be ruined.