by zazafrasca
Photo by zazafrasca
zazafrasca's Notes:
Expand3 tablespoons Olive Oil Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cloves of Garlic, minced Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 Vidalia Onion, minced Ask a question about this ingredient
1 Carrot, minced Ask a question about this ingredient
3/4 cups Cooked Quinoa Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup Red Wine Ask a question about this ingredient
3/4 cups Mushrooms, finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes (in-oil or not - your choice) Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely sliced into ribbons Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 Dried Chipotle Pepper, finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
1 pound ground buffalo Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 pound ground pork Ask a question about this ingredient
1/3 cup Ketchup (or tomato paste) Ask a question about this ingredient
2 eggs Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce Ask a question about this ingredient
Salt and Pepper Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup shredded smoked provolone Ask a question about this ingredient
Olive Oil Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon dried oregano Ask a question about this ingredient
Marinara Sauce of your preference (we prefer a thin simple sauce as the meatballs pack a punch) Ask a question about this ingredient
Heat Olive Oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Saute garlic and onions until fragrant. Add carrots and saute until soft.
Ask a question about this stepWhile onion mixture is cooking, soak the cooked quinoa in the red wine in a small bowl.
Ask a question about this stepAdd mushrooms to medium-hot pan with onion mixture and continue to cook until all the water has been released from them. Then quickly add the sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, turning up heat to high. Stir constantly until balsamic vinegar is nearly cooked down.
Ask a question about this stepTurn pan to low. Add quinoa/wine mixture, basil, and chipotle, stirring until well combined. Salt and pepper mixture to taste and remove from heat.
Ask a question about this stepIn a large bowl add cooled onion/quinoa mixture, meats, ketchup, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, cheese, oregano. Mix gently with your hands until well combined. Refrigerate mixture for at least 1 hour.
Ask a question about this stepRemove mix from fridge and mold into balls. (The size of the meatballs is completely your preference - we prefer to make them smaller when we are serving them with a long/thin pasta or large when serving with a shaped pasta.)
Ask a question about this stepHeat a small amount of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. (The meats used here are lean so some oil is necessary for non-stick and flavor purposes.)
Ask a question about this stepBrown meatballs in batches (without crowding), turning frequently, about 5-7 minutes per batch, depending on the size of your balls.
Ask a question about this stepMeanwhile, boil water for pasta and heat your preferred Marinara sauce. Cook pasta until al dente.
Ask a question about this stepAdd cooked meatballs to marinara sauce and simmer for several minutes.
Ask a question about this stepServe pasta in bowls, ladling sauce and meatballs over it, sprinkled with cheese.
Ask a question about this stepBuffalo is definitely leaner. Do you ever find Buffalo's stronger slightly gamier taste a challenge when you use it in place of beef?
I have run into problems with it being leaner when i try to sub it in beef recipes that call for more marbled cuts.
This is a great recipe. I have impressed all my friends with this one. Thanks for this one!
Thanks! Buffalo and chipotle worked surprisingly well together. (The first time though I made the mistake of adding a whole pepper.) Actually I made too much quinoa mixture so I used it as a grain next to grilled chicken the next night.
Clever photo! Ground buffalo seems to be popping up everywhere, even in my local supermarkets.
Yeah its getting popular. Have you tried buffalo in anything? The first time I purchased it was accidental.
I was at the Whole Foods in DC craving iron and started looking at their prepared burger patties. They had a sun-dried tomatoes and blue cheese patties - bought it without even seeing it was actually Buffalo. Now Blue Buffalo burgers are a staple in my kitchen.
Love your image. And I really appreciate the quinoa. If I were to start my meatball adventure all over this week, I would go towards a leaner and cleaner direction.
Carol is a gluten-free chef and food blogger currently cooking her way through the Alinea Cookbook.
I love the image as well and the recipe looks pretty good as well. I have found that buffalo is just as tasty but leaner. Great idea!