Meatballs

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!

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