Chef John’s Italian Meatballs (Venison)

Who doesn’t love Chef John! It’s just a few extra steps in this recipe that makes juicy tasty meatballs every time. I have used every wild game meat that I can think of and they always turn out great. I love that these are baked instep of fried as you can do a huge cookie sheet at once. I also freeze these raw individually and then throw them in a freezer bag. You need a quick appt or want meatballs with your spaghetti ..ready in a flash.

INGREDIENTS:

• ⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 pound ground beef ( I used 2 pounds venison ground – any wild ground will work)
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until onion is very tender, about 15 minutes more.
3. Gently stir beef and pork together in a large bowl. Add onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, Italian herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes; mix together using a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
5. Form mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter; arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

See Original Recipe