A hectic week is something that urges me to make something that gives me comfort but won’t take too much of my time. You know how comfort food just soothes the soul and fills up your tummy like nothing else does. And because my mood is looking for it, I made a special comfort food that is all Paleo and doesn’t have to be forced to my kids.
Meatballs – this simple but tasty meal is a comfort food that I just wanted to have to finish a hectic work week and start a wonderful and relaxing weekend with my family. A choice of comfort food says a lot about my week filled with impossible deadlines and overflowing tasks, but I don’t want to dwell on that. Let’s focus on the meatballs, the savory and juicy meatballs that go well with Paleo rice or even just on its own.
This recipe can be served at any time of the day, but I decided to do it for dinner. Just a few pieces can already get me, my partner and my kids full. I made a big batch and freeze half of it for a soup or Paleo spaghetti by the weekend or next week. The best thing about meatballs is that I can use any meat available inside my freezer. Whatever meat I feel like adding to the meatballs and the results are still as tasty as ever.
So if you feel like you’re in need for, a comfort food anytime soon, or your kids are asking for it, here is the Paleo diet recipe I used in making my Paleo meatballs.
- For the Meatballs
- 2 lbs (907 g) Ground Beef (Or any lean meat of your choice)
- ½ Cup (118 g) Onion – Grated
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves – Minced
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon (15 g) Seasoning to Taste
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- For the Sauce
- 28 oz (828 g) Can Tomatoes
- 2 Garlic Cloves – Minced
- Fresh Basil
- Olive Oil
- Let’s start with the simple sauce. Simply add the tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil together. You can blitz the tomatoes if you want. I did it to mine and it added a nice texture to my sauce.
- Simply tear the fresh basil and add to the tomato mixture. Place the mixture in a saucepan over a low heat.
- Whilst the sauce is cooking, work on your meatballs.
- In a large bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients together. You can mix the meatball ingredients using a spoon or your hands (just make sure your hands are clean or you have clean gloves on).
- Once you have thoroughly mixed the meatball mixture together, for it into meatballs any size you want. I prefer mine to be golf ball size, but you can make them smaller or bigger.
- Using a frying pan, brown your meatballs on all sides over a medium heat.
- Check your sauce. The simple sauce should be simmering nicely and ready for the meatballs. Add the meatballs to the sauce. Cover the saucepan and simmer on the same heat for 20 minutes.
- After simmering the sauce with the meatballs, remove from heat and top with grated cheese and a few more torn basil leaves.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
This recipe is one of those recipes that hits the right spot in my stomach and my heart. This is a basic recipe that evolved over time and has so many versions. It has also grown very popular in many western countries and even in Asian countries. But because methods of making this recipe have increased and varied in time, there are people who get confused about the best way to cook meatballs. One very important step that other people skip is browning the meatballs.
Some people would say that browning the meatballs isn’t necessary, but I say otherwise. This step can actually make the recipe taste and cook better! When you brown the meatballs, you are “sealing” the meat and it helps keep the meatballs intact despite being cooked further in the sauce. Browning the meatballs also helps to keep the meatballs juicy. Browning will help the meatballs to cook better throughout.
But how do you correctly brown meatballs? I’ve been asked this question quite a few times by a friend, a colleague, a subscriber or a relative. And this question has lead to me providing some tips on how to brown meatballs better. I’ve gathered the two best ways you can use for browning your meatballs better and more efficiently.
Bake ‘Em!
Using A Baking Pan
Baking the meatballs first can definitely help in browning and cooking them better. You can bake them using a baking pan. You can place your meatballs onto a greased or cookie sheet lined baking pan. The meatballs will have a nice golden brown color, they will be cooked through but still, have the right tenderness. You can usually cook golf ball sized meatballs at 375°F (190° C) for between 15-18 minutes. You can cook bigger meatballs longer.
Using Cupcake Tins
If you have cupcake tins, you can use these for your meatballs. Mini cupcake tins will be fine for small meatballs, bigger cupcake tins will be great for bigger meatballs. You can turn the meatballs half way through cooking, giving you the nice brown color and still cook the meatballs well. You will also need to bake the meatballs in the tins at 375°F (190° C) for around 15-18 minutes, depending on the size of the balls of meat you’ve made.
Sear In A Pan
When you don’t have an oven, you can definitely use a frying pan or the saucepan where you’ll cook the sauce. Make sure you brown all the sides; any ring or lighter part of the meatballs means you might have less oil than needed. You can use the same oil in sautéing the ingredients of your sauce and it will add a great umami flavor to your sauce. Make sure you turn the meatballs over at the right time, otherwise you will burn parts of the meatballs.
Meatballs are definitely the food that can be anyone’s comfort food anytime. This recipe may be simple, but you can definitely experiment and add a few more spices that suit your taste. If you must brown your meatballs, make sure you use enough oil and cook them over the right heat and that you are not distracted. Otherwise, you might find yourself eating burnt meatballs. So now, cook those meatballs and enjoy the comfort it brings to you and your family.