Don’t underestimate the power of the meatball. If you think they’re only meant to go on top of spaghetti, get ready to expand your mind. When done right, a crispy and succulent meatball is the perfect topping for almost anything you could think of to whip together for a quick dinner. They’re great as snacks all by themselves (and portable, too) or as the main ingredient for an epic meatball sandwich.

With the perfect seasoning and cooking technique to get that crispy on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside effect, meatballs will be a new favorite in your cooking arsenal. Better yet, they’re simple and speedy to prepare. Feel free to substitute the herbs in the recipe for whatever you have on hand or according to your taste preferences.

Also Read: Recipe: Grass Fed & Finished Chinese Takeout Mongolian Beef

Meatballs Are A Great Opportunity To Get Creative

I chose to use our grass fed and finished ground beef for this recipe, although any of our ground meat offerings would be absolutely delicious. If you feel like venturing out beyond beef, choose from our selections of ground bison, elk, lamb or wild boar. The options are bountiful and will each give their own special flavor and quality to your meatball experience.

You could even use one of our keto or primal blends - the keto is just what it sounds like, formulated with a high percentage of fat to help you hit your macros for the day. Our unique primal blend is formulated with 20% heart, liver and kidney meat, to give you all the nutritional benefits without sacrificing any flavor.

New Mexican Beef From The Sangre De Cristo Mountains

Our beef is pasture raised on a beautiful 20,000 acre ranch here in New Mexico. The cows roam freely as far as the eye can see with extremely minimal handling. For those familiar with New Mexico, it might sound surprising that there’s so much lush green grass for them to graze on. These fields are naturally irrigated by a sparkling river flowing with ice-melt from the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Also Read: The Ultimate Beck & Bulow Roast Beef Sandwich Recipe

As you might guess, this means the grass is incredibly pure and nutritious. Our cattle enjoy the shade of large trees, blue sunny skies and direct access to this river. People tell us all the time that they stopped eating beef because it was too difficult to find a truly reliable source. We felt the same way, until we began sourcing from this farm. We started stocking beef due to popular demand from customers who wanted to eat this meat with the knowledge that it’s impeccably sourced.

Quality Meat Hand Cut By Master Butchers

We work exclusively with masterful local butchers, chosen for their skill and dedication. Our beef is cut by Amish butchers who have been practicing their craft for generations. Five people work on one animal at a time and the utmost care and precision is put into each cut of meat. Everything is pressure sealed immediately after butchering and flash frozen at the peak of freshness. Every order is hand packed at our warehouse in Santa Fe and shipped in reusable coolers with dry ice, straight to your door.

Ingredients:

• 1 clove of garlic
• ½ cup dried parsley
• ¼ cup dried thyme
• ¼ cup dried oregano
• ¼ cup walnuts
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (sub regular if you like)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, + extra as desired
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil or melted bison tallow, divided
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 pound grass fed & finished ground beef
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Also Read: Grass-Fed & Finished Beef: Our Latest Offering

Instructions:

1. Thaw the ground beef in the refrigerator overnight or for a couple hours during the day. Let the meat sit out for approximately 20 minutes before cooking.
2. Prepare the oven by making sure a rack is placed in the center. Preheat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Finely mince the clove of garlic, and finely chop the dried herbs. Combine in a medium bowl. Chop the walnuts and combine.
4. Whisk in the egg, smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of sea salt and one tablespoon of avocado oil or melted bison tallow.
5. Use your hands to combine the panko breadcrumbs with the mixture in the bowl.
6. Add in the ground beef. Continue mixing with clean hands, taking care not to overmix. Be gentle and combine just until everything is well incorporated. Overmixing will make your meatballs too tough, and you will sacrifice the tender texture on the inside that everyone loves.
7. Grease a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of avocado oil or melted bison tallow.
8. Form the meat mixture into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Arrange them on the baking sheet with ample room in between for all sides to get crispy.
9. Bake the meatballs for approximately ten minutes, or until they’re crispy and golden brown on all sides. Shake the pan halfway through to make sure every surface of the meatballs gets crisped.

Also Read: Grass Fed Beef Primals: Knowing The Cuts Of Meat