Agrodolce Meatballs
Lukas LeafLukas Leaf is an avid, passionate outdoorsman and chef born and raised in Minnesota and has spent the majority of his cooking career specializing in wild game and foraged ingredients. From weekends on the ice in his family's fish shack on Mille Lacs Lake to spring fishing trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, connecting with nature and our cherished wild places has long been cemented as a way of life. Lukas is a dedicated husband and father to twin girls and spends his free time fishing, foraging, hunting, camping, and cooking his way through the great outdoors. Lukas is the lead chef for Modern Carnivore, executive director at Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, and a wild foods contributor for MeatEater.
Course
Small Bites
Duration
2.5 hours
Serves
40 to 50 meatballs
Chef’s notes
These tangy mini meatballs are the fancy pants sweet and sour version of the 'ol grape jelly and Heinz chili sauce crockpot concoction that happens to be at every Midwest potluck you’ve ever graced with your presence.
Sweet, sour, salty, spicy; these are all of it and more. Perfect for the slow cooker. The longer these sit in the sauce, the more exciting the depth of flavor gets. Add the meatballs to mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, soup, or even abanh mi sandwich.
The sauce is excellent with all sorts of game, fish, and foraged goods. In fact, as I write this, I have agrodolce meatballs tossed with some udon noodles and mushrooms. It's a nice quick lunch. Fashion it and doctor it how you like, but it can be a great base for a main dish or does just fine on the end of a toothpick.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 20 oz. ground wild boar
- 12 oz. ground pheasant
- 2½ cups bread crumbs
- 1 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup Italian parsley, minced
- 4 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire
- 2 tsp. cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
Agrodolce
- 2½ cups orange juice
- 2½ cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- ½ cup dried currants
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts (substitute almonds)
- 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. capers
- 1 tbsp. chili flake
- 1 tsp. Cracked black pepper
- 2-3 bay leaves
Also works with
Any ground wild game
Preparation
- Make the meatball mix: Sauté the onion, garlic, and dry oregano in the olive oil until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the heat and let cool. In a food processor, puree the onion, garlic, and oregano with vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, and Worcestershire.
- Mix the ground meat with eggs, parsley, breadcrumbs, milk, onion puree, salt, and pepper. The mix will feel a little wet. Place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
- While the meat mixture rests, toast the pine nuts on a sheet tray until golden brown at 325ºF.
- Make the agrodolce: In a large pot or Dutch oven over med-high heat, add the olive oil, raisins, garlic, currants, onion, and capers. Sauté until the ingredients begin to caramelize, and add the bay leaf, black pepper, and chili flake. Deglaze the pan with the apple cider vinegar. Add the brown sugar and orange juice. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce it by half—about twenty minutes. Add the toasted pine nuts and set aside. The raisins and currants will continue to absorb some liquid.
- Form the meatballs into portions of roughly an ounce or smaller, about an inch wide. Occasionally rinse your hands and keep them damp to roll the meatballs, which will help make a smooth ball. Place the meatballs on a sheet tray with parchment paper. Either broil the meatballs on the highest setting or sear them in a pan until cooked through.
- Add the meatballs back into the sauce and bring it to a simmer. Serve or place in a slow cooker.
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Agrodolce Meatballs
Recipe by:Lukas Leaf
Course
Small Bites
Duration
2.5 hours
Serves
40 to 50 meatballs
Chef’s notes
These tangy mini meatballs are the fancy pants sweet and sour version of the 'ol grape jelly and Heinz chili sauce crockpot concoction that happens to be at every Midwest potluck you’ve ever graced with your presence.
Sweet, sour, salty, spicy; these are all of it and more. Perfect for the slow cooker. The longer these sit in the sauce, the more exciting the depth of flavor gets. Add the meatballs to mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, soup, or even abanh mi sandwich.
The sauce is excellent with all sorts of game, fish, and foraged goods. In fact, as I write this, I have agrodolce meatballs tossed with some udon noodles and mushrooms. It's a nice quick lunch. Fashion it and doctor it how you like, but it can be a great base for a main dish or does just fine on the end of a toothpick.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 20 oz. ground wild boar
- 12 oz. ground pheasant
- 2½ cups bread crumbs
- 1 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup Italian parsley, minced
- 4 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire
- 2 tsp. cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
Agrodolce
- 2½ cups orange juice
- 2½ cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- ½ cup dried currants
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts (substitute almonds)
- 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. capers
- 1 tbsp. chili flake
- 1 tsp. Cracked black pepper
- 2-3 bay leaves
Also works with
Any ground wild game
Preparation
- Make the meatball mix: Sauté the onion, garlic, and dry oregano in the olive oil until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the heat and let cool. In a food processor, puree the onion, garlic, and oregano with vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, and Worcestershire.
- Mix the ground meat with eggs, parsley, breadcrumbs, milk, onion puree, salt, and pepper. The mix will feel a little wet. Place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
- While the meat mixture rests, toast the pine nuts on a sheet tray until golden brown at 325ºF.
- Make the agrodolce: In a large pot or Dutch oven over med-high heat, add the olive oil, raisins, garlic, currants, onion, and capers. Sauté until the ingredients begin to caramelize, and add the bay leaf, black pepper, and chili flake. Deglaze the pan with the apple cider vinegar. Add the brown sugar and orange juice. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce it by half—about twenty minutes. Add the toasted pine nuts and set aside. The raisins and currants will continue to absorb some liquid.
- Form the meatballs into portions of roughly an ounce or smaller, about an inch wide. Occasionally rinse your hands and keep them damp to roll the meatballs, which will help make a smooth ball. Place the meatballs on a sheet tray with parchment paper. Either broil the meatballs on the highest setting or sear them in a pan until cooked through.
- Add the meatballs back into the sauce and bring it to a simmer. Serve or place in a slow cooker.