Portabella+Shiitake Beef Meatballs (topped w/garlic broccolini)

We love meatballs for dinner, not only because they are simple to make and delicious, but also because they make great leftovers.  My favorite type of beef meatballs are stuffed full of mushrooms, which give the meatballs a juicy, earthy flavor.  Here’s an easy recipe for beef meatballs I often make at home.  In this instance, I added some crispy, garlicky broccolini on top — so it’s a complete meal of meat and vegetables!

PORTABELLA+SHIITAKE MEATBALLS (w/garlic broccolini)

• 2 lbs. grass-fed ground beef (I prefer 85% meat/15% fat ratio the best)
• 2 yellow onions, minced (I use a food processor)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced (also in food processor)
• 1 portabella mushroom, chopped
• Handful of shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 3 organic free-range eggs
• Salt + pepper

• Bunch of broccolini, chopped into 1/2 in. pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In the food processor, mince onions and garlic.

Put the ground beef in a large bowl.  Add the minced onions and garlic.

And the chopped portabella mushrooms:

And the shiitake mushrooms:

And the chopped parsley:

Add salt and pepper, and mix everything together by hand:

Add the eggs, and mix by hand until blended together:

Form into balls (I make them into about 2 in. spheres, a little smaller than a tennis ball) and lay them out in a roasting pan:

Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes.

In the meantime, sauté the broccolini and garlic in olive oil.  Also, heat tomato sauce on low heat (I like Mario Battali’s Arrabbiata Sauce.)

When the meatballs are done, transfer them onto a plate (so that they don’t sit in the fats/juice that have oozed out while cooking).

In a bowl, plate meatballs.  Pour tomato sauce over the meatballs, and top with sautéed broccolini.  Enjoy!

Tags: meat, meatballs, Simple Dishes