Friday Night Meatballs

No stove-top required, these are the easiest MEATBALLS you'll find that are gluten-free and GAPS compliant.

Everyone needs a good meatball recipe. I found this one when I was starting the pre-school lunchbox juggle. Both my kids were following gluten-free, GAPS friendly eating plans and (not surprisingly) lunch options were slim. I adapted this recipe again and again so that I could cook it one-handed, throw it in the oven, then pack it into lunchboxes. For a main meal you can serve them Italian-style, mixing them into a red sauce, and topping on pasta or zoodles. Here’s what I’ve learnt about the art of meatball-making.

Start with a good quality mince. I had a funny experience a few months ago when I visited our local butcher and requested chicken mince. He started preparing the lean chicken mince from the cabinet, and then upon hearing that I was using it for meatballs, he returned it to the shelf and went out the back and got me a completely different cut that he minced on the spot. He later explained that meatballs need good quality mince - not lean mince, and no tough cuts. For a light, fluffy meatball pork, lamb or chicken mince work well, but the key is getting the right cut (and if you are using beef mince, the rule of thumb is to combine it 50:50 with pork or veal).

We use organic, free-range pork from our local sustainable farm. Pork has a unique fatty acid profile with a higher proportion of mono-unsaturated fats, compared to saturated fats. It has a smoother, lighter flavour and as we’ve found, makes a truly ravishing meatball.

Bulking agents are used to add volume and texture to meatballs. Most recipes call for white bread or (if you are Italian) bread soaked in milk. I’ve switched this up by using carrots, onion and psyllium husk. If you are following a GAPS program, you can switch this with almond flour and egg yolk (see recipe note)

Binding agents are used to keep the recipe bound together. Common binders are flour, breadcrumbs or egg yolks. I’ve found that psyllium husk (which has a high soluble fibre content) or almond flour combined with olive oil or egg yolk binds the ingredients well, as does a blender and hand-rolling them with olive-oiled hands.

Blend or mix? This is the dilemma! Alison Roman from Bon Appetit Magazine recommends mixing with your hands in a large bowl, stating that they should ‘still be clumpy in some parts’. With kids at my feet and truckload of dishes, I opt for the blender option. I like a smooth meatball, and a lack-of-chunks easier to digest for kids-on-the-run.

Fry or oven bake? Another dilemma. Most chefs prefer a quick pan-fry followed by a liquid braise, or tossed into the sauce-pot. I differ here. As, wherever possible, I avoid long periods leaning over the stove top (this is one cooking experience that you can’t juggle with children at your feet). I oven bake, using the Fan-Forced Grill setting on high, tossing once, then serving them straight from the pan, or adding to a red-sauce if we are eating them Italian style.

What I’m Loving This Week:

Heirloom Sweet Potatoes: These are at their best right now and I picked a colourful bundle from the Queen Victoria Market recently on a trip into town. If you are potato-shopping this month, look the unusual heritage varieties - white and purple are superb, but I’m still in favour of the deep orange varieties that are available throughout the year. Purple sweet potatoes have twice the fiber and double calcium as the standard white potato, they also contain unique anti-inflammatory compounds that are beneficial to health, and are far easier to digest compared the modern, white varieties.

I’m a stickler for baking them in the oven, skin on, at a high heat (200 degrees celcius or more) until their skin is crispy and their insides like caramel. I fill them with butter and a pinch of salt (heaven!) or scoop out the middle and add it to cake and brownie recipes (if you are gluten-free or paleo, this is the ultimate cake-base).

Recipe: Easy Pork MeatBalls

What you will need:

• 500g free range pork mince

• 1 medium brown onion

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 small/medium sized carrots

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano

• 2 level teaspoons psyllium husk (OR - if you are following the GAPS diet program, switch with 1 tablespoon almond flour + 1 egg yolk)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus extra for rolling the balls)

• Coconut oil or lard for coating the pan.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees on a Fan Grill setting.

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on a medium speed for two minutes. Prepare a baking tray by oiling it gently with olive oil or coconut oil. Lightly rub your hands with olive oil and roll out the balls, slightly smaller than a standard golf ball, and arrange them on a baking tray for the oven.

Place tray in the pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes, then remove them from the oven, toss and turn, then return them to the oven to cook for an additional ten minutes (or until browned and crispy at the top).

When they are ready, you can remove them and serve them just as they are (with salad or greens) or try adding them to a pan of red sauce (Italian Style) or store and freeze for an easy lunchbox filler. Enjoy!

If you have enjoyed this meatball recipe, I would be grateful if you could like, comment or share with a friend. Thank you for your support. Arabella