My pickiest brother was hovering around the kitchen watching me as I made these. He said there was no way that they could compare with Ikea meatballs and he wasn’t loving the idea of diluting beef with fruit and nuts, though I could tell he was intrigued. Once they were made he inhaled a plate of them and then had more with dinner so they were a win after all. I used ground beef but ground turkey would work well in its place for a lighter option and more traditional flavor combination. All berries are highly renowned for their high concentrations of antioxidants and of them cranberries top the charts. It is important for us to consume lots of antioxidants to counter the damage done in our bodies by toxins and stress. Eating piles of berries and other fresh produce is easy and accessible in the summer but our options dwindle during these colder months. Cranberries however, are everywhere right now but they are commonly consumed in the form of cranberry cocktail that has been so highly processed that basically all of the nutrients have been lost. The same goes for many of the canned sauces on the market. There are so many options beyond this where the unique tartness of these berries can bring a new layer of flavor. Luckily cranberry sauce is pretty easy to make from the now in season fresh cranberries and dried cranberries can compliment many dishes. I used red wine in this sauce to deepen the flavor to be strong enough to compliment the heaviness of the beef (all the alcohol gets cooked off) but orange juice could be a good substitute.
- Meatballs
- 1 lb ground lean beef
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries, chopped finely
- ⅓ cup pecans, chopped finely
- ½ onion, chopped finely
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sage
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- Cranberry Sauce
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- ¾ cup cheap red wine
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (plus 1-2 tablespoons for after it is cooked)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Preheat oven to 400°. Mix together all the meatball ingredients in a medium sized bowl until thoroughly blended (using hands works best). Scoop out 2 tablespoons at a time and roll the beef mixture into balls and place on a slotted roasting tray (this helps all the excess fat drip out instead of gathering at the base of the meatballs). Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
- Once the meatballs are in the oven place the red wine, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally then add in the cranberries once boiling. Leave it to boil for another 10-15 minutes until the meat balls are done cooking, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn. There will be some quiet popping noises a few minutes in when the cranberries start bursting, they will not splatter all over the place or anything messy.
- When the meatballs are cooked bring them out of the oven and set aside for a couple minutes to cool. Take the sauce off the heat at this time too and it will thicken up a bit more as it cools. It will be quite tart so stir in another tablespoon or two of maple syrup if you want it a bit more mellow and sweeter.
