Meatballs

Posted by on Nov 25, 2012 | 0 comments

1 free range egg, lightly beaten
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1/2 cup high quality breadcrumbs (see below for alternatives)
2 tsps dried minced onion (or 2 TBSP finely chopped fresh onion)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp pure salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP butter, ghee, or coconut oil

METHOD 1 — FRYING:

  • Lightly beat the egg in a bowl large enough to hold the rest of the ingredients.
  • Mix the remaining ingredients except for the butter (or oil) with the egg.
  • Shape into 1 & 1/2 inch balls.
  • Saute meatballs in ghee (or oil of choice) over medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 15 – 20 mins, until browned on all sides and cooked through.

METHOD 2 — BAKING:

  • Lightly beat the egg in a bowl large enough to hold the rest of the ingredients.
  • Mix the remaining ingredients except for the butter (or oil) with the egg.
  • Shape into 1 & 1/2 inch balls.
  • Bake the meatballs on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (in this case, you can omit the butter or oil).

Makes approximately 20 – 24 meatballs, depending on size.

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SIDE NOTES:

~  After frying the meatballs, I sometimes add them to my 10-MINUTE-MARINARA (as shown above). Melting a little natural mozzarella over the top (meatball parm) is delicious.  Saute some greens with garlic on the side, or make a nice big salad for a satisfying meal.

~  It’s easy to make your own, quality breadcrumbs at home if interested (click HERE for details).  I make a big batch every once in a while, and store in a large glass mason jar in the freezer.

~  If you don’t have breadcrumbs on hand and don’t want to make them, instead, tear apart a few pieces of high-quality bread into small pieces (1 cup – packed) and toss the bread with 6 TBSP milk.  Let soak a few minutes until softened and combine with the meat mixture.  (We like this version a lot.)

~  If you’re avoiding grains completely, simply replace the breadcrumbs with an equal amount of almond meal (tip from friend and fellow real food advocate – Sharon Shiner).

~  I know there are tons of variations on how to make meatballs.  You can add 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese to the mix, or vary the spices.  If anyone has any meatball secrets they’d like to share, feel free to comment below!

 For those with various food restrictions, this recipe falls into the following categories:

Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Sugar Free, Grain Free, Vegan, Raw

If eating gluten free, use gluten free breadcrumbs, and be sure to check labels of packaged ingredients if eating gluten and/or sugar free (omit the Worcestershire sauce if necessary).  If eating grain free, use almond flour instead of breadcrumbs. 


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