Since I was lucky enough to harvest a whitetail deer this year, and I have about a dozen pounds of wild rice laying around, I tried a new recipe that a friend posted to his cooking column in an area newspaper. I followed it fairly closely, and realized that with a few adjustments I had a keeper recipe that my family would appreciate every so often. Here is my take on the recipe:
- 2 lbs ground venison or beef (can use part pork but I would not recommend more than 1/2 lb)
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice, cooked just enough to soften
- 1 cup rye bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds (if not in the bread)
- 2 eggs
- 1 onion, finely chopped (minced)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3 cups beef broth (I use Tones beef base and mix it into water – follow directions on container)
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
Crumble bread into crumbs. Mix in eggs and let sit. Sauté onions in olive oil until softened. Add onions, meat, rice and spices and mix with your hands (that’s the fun part!). Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and cook in frying pan on stove top for about 10 minutes, turning as they cook. Do this in small batches for best results. Meanwhile, melt butter in dutch oven on stove top. Whisk in flour and add beef broth before flour has a chance to cook (you don’t want beef flavored biscuits!) stir in wine and soy sauce. Bring to boil and let boil for a minute or so to allow sauce to thicken. Turn off heat and stir in sour cream. Add cooked meatballs, stirring gently to coat. Serve alone or over fettuccini or egg noodles.
The Wildwood Glen 