Italian Style, Venison Meatballs
Every time someone promises to bring me Venison, I get all wired up that I'm going to get a great piece of meat. When it arrives, it usually ends up being Ground Venison. This time was no different, and I remembered making Spaghetti Sauce using stew meat, and figured, why not. I'll do the Italian style meatballs with a Venison Spaghetti Sauce.Low and behold it turned out excellent!
A misconception about meatballs is that you've got to use something with a bunch of fat in it to make them tender. The real way to make them soft and tender is by using bread crumbs as part of the mix. And of course 2 whole eggs per pound seems like a lot, but and old Italian told me that trick to keep the meat balls together.
Now, a word about poaching the meatballs in the gravy. One time I made a batch of meatballs, and cooked them three different ways. Fried, baked, and poached. I've found that, although it would be a LOT easier if I could put them in an oven to cook, poaching them made for the softest texture.
And finally, I use a portioner quite often when making something like this because it's about the only way to get each meatball the same size.. I've got a bunch of different sizes, for making hamburgers, or mini meatballs, etc. You can purchased at most restaurant supply stores, either locally, or on the internet.
This recipe makes 15, 2" meatballs.
- 1 Medium Onion, diced, 1/8"
- 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil, for frying
- 1 Pound Ground Venison
- 1 Tablespoon Butt Kickin' Italian Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Butt Kickin' Blacken, Original Recipe
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
- 3/4 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
- 2 Cloves Garlic, grated
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 2 Large Eggs
1. Saute' the onions in the vegetable oil until they're soft. Set these aside to cool.
2. Place the venison into a bowl. Add the cooled onions, Italian Seasoning, Parsley, Bread Crumbs, and garlic, and mix well with your hands until all of the ingredients have been incorporated into the meat. Add the eggs and mix it up again, until the eggs are well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour to stiffen up, and give you a chance to get the sauce going.
3. After the sauce is hot, turn it down to a simmer, and make the meatballs.
4. I have a bunch of different sized portioners, and used a 1 5/8 ounce to make 2" meatballs. Portion them onto a platter without forming them.
5. To form the meatballs, wet your hands, form 2 - 3 meatballs, place them back on the platter,and begin again by wetting your hands again. Keep this going until you've used up all of the meat.
Ron's Note:
Using a portioner, which is a measured ice cream scoop, will give you even sized meatballs. They can be purchased at any Restaurant Supply Store.
6. Set the meatballs into the sauce, in a single layer. You can use the back of a spoon to get them below the surface, but don't be too rough with them or they'll fall apart.
7. Cover the sauce and let them simmer, a low temperature, for 1/2 hour, then gently stir, trying not to break up the meatballs. Cook these for another 45 minutes to insure they're done. Total cooking time depends upon how big the meatballs are, and how hot the sauce is.
Feedback is GREAT!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this recipe, or any other of my recipes you've either looked at or tried.thecapn@capnrons.com
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this recipe, or any other of my recipes you've either looked at or tried.
- Whether or not you like this recipe and why.
- How you'd like to see it different.
- Suggestions for new recipes I could post.
- Recipes you've made using Butt Kickin' Blacken.
Italian Style, Venison Meatballs
Store any leftover meatballs insauce, in the refrigerator, Or freeze them in sauce, for a much later use.
Or,
Why not make Venison Meatball Sandwiches, for another day? Reheat the meatballs with sauce, set the hot meatballs in an Italian style roll. Then lay some sliced or shredded mozzarella on top. Place this under the broiler, or in the oven at 400 degrees, just long enough to melt the cheese.
