The recipe for "hedgehogs"

"Hedgehogs" of meat or meatballs, so familiar to us from childhood, are round cutlets from minced meat and rice. Meat in them is very fond, because it is passed through the meat grinder usually at least two times. This, probably, is one of the most favorite dishes of children, and the appearance of meatballs resemble prickly hedgehogs. In the minced meat is added rice, and when cooking a grain of rice stick out, like a needle of a hedgehog. The form of meatballs is often round, but rice is sometimes replaced with vegetables. The recipe for "hedgehogs" becomes dietary, if instead of cereals put, for example, cabbage or diced cubs.

This dish is prepared in many ways: the meatballs are boiled in broth, stewed in sauce or baked in the oven. Mincemeat for meatballs is taken differently - pork, beef, mixed, and hedgehogs from chicken mince can be given even to kids after a year. The gravy or sauce also varies in different housewives, some prefer cream-sour cream, other tomato. One thing remains unchanged: the recipe for "hedgehogs from minced meat" - a hearty and homemade one, it is light and easy to prepare and is loved by absolutely everyone.

Preparation of meatballs

For cooking meatballs we will need:

- half a kilo of minced meat (approximately equally pork and beef);

- half a glass of rice (any, but better, of course, long-grain);

- a pair of cloves of garlic and a pair of small bulbs;

- a small carrot;

- one chicken egg;

- 150 grams of mayonnaise or sour cream;

- two tablespoons of tomato sauce;

- greens, salt, pepper, vegetable oil.

The recipe for "hedgehogs" can be prepared both in the oven and in a frying pan. If we are going to bake meatballs, then first we need to boil the rice until half cooked. If we are stewing in a frying pan, then it is better to put the rice raw, so it will definitely look like the needle of a hedgehog. Prepare forcemeat, both kinds of meat let's go through the meat grinder, adding one onion and one clove of garlic. In the twisted minced meat, add the egg, a little salt and allspice, mix well. It is better even to repel the forcemeat: by raising, with force throw the mince back into the bowl, so it will become more homogeneous and will be much easier to sculpt. After the stuffing is mixed, add the rice into it and form the same orderly round balls about 5 centimeters in diameter.

If we decided to bake the hedgehogs, then ready-made rice-meat balls must be folded into a mold, having previously oiled it. Layed in the form of a meatball, pour a mixture of mayonnaise or sour cream, mixed with ketchup, add salt. It should be noted that hedgehogs should be filled with sauce almost completely. Preheat the oven no less than 200 degrees, and put the form for half an hour before the appearance of a golden crust.

Another version of cooking meatballs is liked by many housewives much more, although this will take a little longer. In a frying pan fry in finely chopped onions, garlic and carrots. When the vegetables are podzolatyatsya, add to them a mixture of tomato sauce and sour cream (mayonnaise), boil all together for several minutes. Ready sauce we spread in a low wide pan and add a glass of water there, put it on the fire, let it boil. In boiling water we place hedgehogs in one layer, it should turn out that sauce covers meatballs by two thirds. When boiled sauce with meatballs, you need to pour each hedgehog sauce, reduce the heat and leave to stew under the lid for 40 minutes.

When the dish is ready, we put a few pieces of butter on top of the hedgehogs and sprinkle it with finely chopped fresh dill, cover with a lid and let it sit for 20 minutes.

When we spread the hedgehogs on plates, the households will certainly run into the kitchen, having heard their delicious aroma, and the children will be pleasantly surprised to see the sticking "needles" of rice.

The recipe for "hedgehogs" is good both in baked and stewed, it can be served with garnish or as an independent dish. The sauce makes the hedgehogs succulent and home-like delicious, and the funny appearance will surely appeal to the children. Bon Appetit!