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Bring a touch of the Emerald Isle right to your table. The satisfying and warm comfort of meatballs packed with classic Irish seasonings and paired with a rich onion gravy made with Ireland’s most famous brew. Serve over a bed of mashed potatoes or colcannon for the complete meal deal.
RECIPE BY MARK COCKCROFT
Ingredients
- 1 lb Maui Nui ground venison
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs or 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1 Tbsp minced for garnish
- ¾ tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- ¾ tsp ground caraway seeds
- Fine sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 6 oz Irish Cheddar cheese, grated (about 1-1/2 cups)
- 1 package Maui Nui venison broth or 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1-1/2 cups Guinness stout
- 1-1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp vinegar (can sub with red wine, sherry, or apple cider)
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425F.
To a large mixing bowl add the egg, bread crumbs, milk, ¼ cup minced parsley, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, ground caraway, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.
Next, add the venison and cheese to the bowl.
Using clean hands stir the ingredients thoroughly together, but avoid overmixing. Roll into balls (about 1 heaping Tbsp or size of a golf ball) and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside when finished.
Meanwhile, add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. When melted add the onions and ½ tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
Then sprinkle flour and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the beer, broth, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and brown sugar; stir to incorporate.
Then add vinegar and a few grindings of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Add meatballs to the pan and let simmer together for 5 more minutes.
Serve, sprinkled with remaining Tbsp of minced parsley, over mashed potatoes. A pint of Guinness would be appropriate as well. Enjoy!