Meatballs

We are so excited that we get to carry Rising Sun beef in the on-farm market. Grown locally in Rising Sun, Indiana, their beef is grass fed and pasture raised. Their cows are happy and healthy, eating and living as cows should and owners Meyer and Kersey take great pride and joy in what they do. It sure does show in the quality of the beef they produce.

So, we knew we had to come up with a recipe that showcased the deliciousness of Rising Sun ground beef and Voila! The Umami-tballs! That’s what we’ve been calling them in-house because they’re so packed with umami flavors and because the crust that develops on these in the skillet is so insanely flavorful.

But you can just call them meat balls if you prefer. . .

Yields about 25 - 40 meatballs depending on size

Ingredients

1 cup tightly packed soft Bread, crust removed and torn into pieces
½ cup Milk
2 Eggs, beaten
½ Onion, grated on a box grater or microplane
3 cloves Garlic, grated on a box grater or microplane
1 tsp Kosher salt
3 tsp Smoked Ramp Salt
½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes 
2 tsp, Dried Herbs, finely chopped (or 2 TBSP Fresh Herbs, finely chopped)
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 lbs Ground Beef (or 1 lb Ground Beef and 1 lb Ground Pork)

Directions

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.

Cut off the crust of whatever type of bread you keep around the house...white, wheat, no matter. Tear the bread into small pieces until you can measure about a ½ cup tightly packed.

Put the bread into a large mixing bowl - you’ll be adding all the following ingredients into this bowl eventually so make sure it’s plenty big. Pour the milk over the bread and let it soak for about 10-15 minutes. With a spoon or fork, mash the bread against the side of the bowl to create a uniform, paste like texture. 

Add in all the rest of the ingredients, leaving out only the meat. Stir the mixture well.

Finally, add in the ground meat. You can mix the meat and the wet ingredients together using a stand mixer (medium-low speed with the paddle attachment) but the only thing better than actually eating these meatballs is the sheer joy of plunging your hands into a bowl of raw meat and mixing it with your hands. Clear your mind and let the impetus of this sensory experience lead you to reflect on the cow’s good life and your gratefulness to it for nourishing you and your loved ones.

And if all that is too much for you, know that mixing by machine runs you a higher risk of accidentally overmixing and producing a meatball that is tough and chewy rather than the tender and melt-in-your-mouth meatballs produced by hand mixing. 

Take a very small amount of the meatball mixture, just a spoonful , and cook it in a skillet so that you can taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Adding salt to the outside of a meatball after it has already cooked will do nothing to sufficiently season it throughout, so it is good practice to test your mixture while you still have the chance to make adjustments 

Place a layer of foil over a sheet pan. Shape the meatballs, placing them on the foil-lined pan as you go. The size is totally up to you. Consider your end goal. If for spaghetti, you might choose a size small enough to pick up with a fork. For a meatball sub, bigger is better. 

Place the sheet pan of meatballs under the broiler for about 5-7 minutes to brown the exterior of the meat. Alternately, you can put a cast-iron or a heavy bottom skillet over high heat, add in a swirl of oil, and when the oil is hot, put in as many meatballs as can fit easily without crowding the pan. Sear to a golden brown, turning them often to get all sides. These meatballs are meant to be tender and only just-held-together so take care when turning them.

(Note: Broiling is a faster and easier method for developing color. But searing in a skillet gives you more control to get all the sides of the meatball, as well as a harder sear overall, which creates even more flavor. )

As they finish searing, remove them to the foil-lined pan. Work in batches. 

Place the pan of seared meatballs into the oven to finish cooking. The time will vary greatly depending on the size of the meatballs, between 15-25 minutes. Temperature is the only sure way to test for doneness. Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.