Savory Italian Gluten Free Meatballs

Post date: May 20, 2015 8:05:41 PM

Ingredients

1 lb 80-85% lean ground beef (Do not use extra lean meat. Fat is needed to help bind the meatballs together.)

1 lb ground pork

2 eggs

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced, separated

2 Tbs tomato paste

1 Tbs Dijon Mustard

1 Tbs dried onion flakes

2 tsp Lea & Perrin's® Worcestershire Sauce (gluten free brand)

1 tsp evaporated sea salt

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

1/3 cup diced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

1 Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tsp dry rosemary)

1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp dry oregano)

1 cup gluten free toasted breadcrumbs or croutons

Directions

Breadcrumbs: Cut or tear pieces of your leftover bread into small cubes and place in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until toasted and crispy. Place toasted bread pieces into a food processor and crumble until you have reached your desired consistency.

Meatballs: Mix all of the meatball ingredients except for the toasted breadcrumbs together in a large bowl, creating a fairly wet base. Once the meat is evenly mixed, add the bread crumbs to soak up to moisture and to assist in binding the meatballs together. If your meatball mixture is so wet it won’t hold its shape, add more breadcrumbs/croutons a quarter cup at a time until it firms up. The size of your meatball will dictate how much cooking is needed. To make hors d’oeuvre portion size which is a bit smaller than a ping pong ball, cook in a heavy sauce pan on medium to medium-high heat for approximately 15 minutes. Gently roll or flip the meatballs every four to five minutes, or when a nice dark crust has formed. If your pan is too hot, the meatballs will blacken too quickly, leaving the center raw. After cooking for 15 minutes, take the meatballs off the heat but leave them in the pan. Remove one and cut in half to check doneness, or insert a meat thermometer (165-170°F). If the center is not fully cooked, leave the meatballs in the hot pan and check again after five minutes.

*Chef’s Note: Baking meatballs: The hors d’oeuvre sized meatballs cooked through in 15 minutes at 350°F. Larger meatballs or meatballs to be incorporated into sauces: If you are one who likes a large meatball or if you prefer your meatballs in a red sauce over spaghetti simply brown the meatballs and throw them in the sauce – they will cook through as your sauce develops and add flavor.