Meatballs with Rosemary Garlic Red Wine Sauce over Cheesy Polenta
It seems every family has their rendition of a heritage meatballs recipe. Heck, if you asked anyone in any country around the world, they would tell you that their family has “the best” tried-and-true meatball recipe.
The one ingredient that everyone can agree a meatball must have is meat. (In some cases, it may be fish or other seafood.) But which is best meat to use?
In America, we have the privilege to be able to hunt whitetail deer. To me, that particular wild game makes the best meatballs. In fact, its earthy flavor enhances many meat dishes. That’s why even people who don’t hunt often order farm-raised venison.
While these meatballs are delicious over polenta or grits, they also work beautifully served over rice, potatoes, and pasta. The next day, you can stuff them into a crusty baguette for a sensational lunch.
Meatballs with Rosemary Garlic Red Wine Sauce over Cheesy Polenta
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 6 cups day-old bread, cut into 1/4” cubes
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 large onions, peeled and quartered
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- olive oil for sautéing
- 1 lb ground venison
- 1 lb ground pork
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley, plus more for plating
For the Sauce
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1 qt whole peeled tomatoes (I crush them by hand)
- 2 tbsp red pepper flakes
For the Polenta
- quick-cook polenta or grits
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- In a shallow pan, soak the bread in the milk for 2 minutes. Squeeze the bread to remove excess moisture, and then place the bread in a large bowl.
- In a food processor, pulse the peeled onions and rosemary leaves. Then place them into a large frying pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and allow the liquid to evaporate from the mixture for about 20 minutes, or until the onion mixture is lightly caramelized.
- Meanwhile, add the venison, pork, eggs, garlic, cheese, salt, pepper, and parsley to the bread. Once the onions are caramelized, add them to the meat mixture and lightly mix all the ingredients until incorporated. Divide into 18 equal-sized meatballs a little larger than a golf ball.
- In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium heat until almost smoking. Add the meatballs in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook the meatballs until brown on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove cooked meatballs to a plate.
For the Sauce
- Drizzle olive oil into the same skillet used to make the meatballs. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, wine, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes.
For the Polenta
- Meanwhile, cook the polenta according to the packet instructions until you have a creamy consistency, adding the butter and grated Parmesan at the end.
Put It All Together
- Gently toss the meatballs through the sauce and serve over the polenta. Scatter a few extra parsley leaves over the dish along with an extra sprinkling of parmesan cheese, if you like.
