Bison Meatballs with Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Among the mountains of produce available every Sunday at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market, there is one vegetable -- or is it a fruit? -- that stops me in my tracks: the heirloom tomato.

When I walked past the beauties at the Tutti Frutti Farms stand I knew heirloom tomato sauce would soon be on the menu. And I could think of no better accompaniment to a good tomato sauce than a good meatball, so I also picked up a pound of ground bison from Lindner Bison. These folks really do it right. Their grass-fed bison spend their lives on pasture, are never dehorned, castrated or given hormones and antibiotics. I’m always happy to buy from them. I’ve made bison burgers before, but because of bison’s low fat content (bison is much leaner than beef) they were a little dry. In my opinion, meatballs and meatloaf are much better uses of ground bison.

Now, I’ve seen enough episodes of Real Housewives of New Jersey to know that some people take meatballs very seriously. Let me preface this by saying that I’m from the people of challah and not focaccia. I had no Nonni who taught me how to make meatballs. I’m just a girl with a pound of bison and a dream.  So if my method offends you, send me your grandma’s recipe and I will shamelessly steal it!

Meatballs

1 lb ground bison

1 large egg

3 cloves minced garlic

¼ c fresh basil

½ grated onion

⅓ c grated cheese (try Spring Hill Jersey white cheddar from Petaluma Dairy)

⅓ c bread crumbs

⅓ c milk

salt

pepper

Sauce

approximately 2.5lbs of heirloom tomatoes (they were $3 a pound and I paid $8)

1 tbsp olive oil or canola oil

3 cloves of garlic

½ onion chopped

¼ c fresh basil

1 tbsp tomato paste

salt

pepper

red pepper flakes

The Balls

To make the meatballs, soak bread crumbs in the milk while you combine the remainder of the ingredients in a bowl. Once breadcrumbs have started to absorb the milk fold in with the meat mixture until everything is combined. Keep in the fridge while you’re making the sauce.

Next, heat approximately two tablespoons of olive or canola oil in a sauce pan. When oil is hot add onions and garlic and saute until onions just turn translucent. Next add one tablespoon of tomato paste and cook for about one minute, until tomato paste has dissolved and begins to coat the onions and garlic.

Now you’re ready to add the tomatoes. Place whole tomatoes in the pot. As they begin to cook down, they will soften and you can smush them with a potato masher or wooden spoon so they release more juices and become less whole tomatoes and more tomato sauce. When tomatoes have almost completely broken down, add the fresh basil and salt and pepper. Cook for another three to five minutes.

When the sauce comes together remove from heat and puree in a blender, food processor, or food mill. If using a blender or food processor, its a good idea to let your sauce cool down a bit, otherwise you may have the sauce explode all over you.

Putting it all together

Once sauce is blended you’re ready to form your meatballs and put the whole thing together. While two to three tablespoons of canola oil is heating in the pan, make the meatballs. One pound of bison will make seven to eight meatballs.  Its a fine line between over rolling the meat to where it tastes like a rock and under rolling it to where it falls apart. I err on the side of under rolling. Lightly coat each meatball in flour, and place in the hot oil. You want to brown the meatballs on at least two sides before adding the sauce.  

Once you each ball is nicely browned., add your sauce and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.