Californio-style Acorn Bison Meatballs
Recipe by Jed Wheeler of Manzanita Cooperative
This is a variation on a meatball recipe I first learned from my grandmother when I was about 10. They’re more Californian than Italian though - her great grandmother’s great grandmother was born in California and many of the family recipes she handed down are heavily influenced by the flavors of Californio Cuisine, an almost extinct culinary tradition dating to Spanish colonization that blended Castilian, Basque, Mexican, Italian, and Native Californian ingredients and techniques.
By replacing the bread crumbs that are normally included in meatballs with acorn mash, we make the recipe gluten free and dramatically reduce its glycemic index (diabetics rejoice!).
In these meatballs, that can be most clearly be tasted in the inclusion of nuts, raisins, and chile peppers instead of traditional Italian seasonings. I love to serve them alongside a spicy red sauce and al dente pasta. If you’d prefer a more traditional meatball, simply leave these ingredients out, increase the acorn by 50%, and add Italian seasonings of your choosing.
Ingredients
2 lbs ground bison or hamburger, aim for an 80/20 blend of lean to fat
2 eggs
1 cup wet acorn mash
1 cup leached acorn bits or pine nuts
1 cup seedless raisins, white are preferred but use what you have
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ancho chili powder
Process
Preheat oven to 400
Dice or use a food processor to chop raisins. This is essential so the raisins spill their sugars into the meatball to sweeten them instead of inflating like tiny balloons. If desired, you can toss the nuts into the food processor as well to get smaller pieces.
In a large bowl combine all ingredients
Stir with a wooden spoon until mixed thoroughly
Shape meatballs by hand. Balls should be just slightly larger than a golf ball
Roast for 16 minutes to go to medium rare (slightly pink in the middle) or 20 minutes for well done.
Let cool and then serve in a sub, alongside pasta, or as a delicious keto-friendly snack
Recipe makes ~20 meatballs.
