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KAWARTHA LAKES-I hunt for KETO, LOW-CARB, and PALEO-compliant ways to please my family and friends at dinner parties, all the while staying within a reasonable budget. For cocktail-style events, I include meatballs. They are super simple to prepare and are an excellent choice to add substance to satisfy guests and absorb alcohol. Meatballs also give you and your guests that protein fix.
Keto Low-Carb Paleo meatballs contain 763 calories, 3.5 net carbs, and 102. 7 grams of protein per serving. The meatballs can be served all year round with pasta or as a side dish or appetizer. The recipe uses ground pork, ground beef, onion, garlic, and spices.
There are secrets to producing and perfecting the meatball. A few years ago, I wrote a feature story for our local newspaper about meatballs. I had the pleasure of interviewing one of Canada’s Chef de Cuisines, Chef David Franklin. Chef David (Chef de Cuisine) shared these meatball secrets with me.
Thanks Chef David!
SECRET 1: Incorporate more than one meat into your meatballs to achieve a more unique taste and more depth of flavour.
SECRET 2: The first tip is to be extra careful when working with any ground meat, fish, or seafood. Watch for cross-contamination. Work with one food item at a time – such as the ground meat – then scrub your cutting board with boiling water, strong detergent, and a good brush. I also like to spray my board with a mixture of peroxide and water. Rinse the board again. Then, wash your hands before moving onto another food item. Older cutting boards, especially plastic ones, often have deep and shallow scratches and grooves from past use. These grooves act as a breeding ground for bacteria. If your guests get sick from your meatballs, they are hardly perfect. So, cleanliness and diligence are essential techniques to utilize.
SECRET 3: Another secret to making meatballs that hold together and don’t crumble is to make sure to remove all of the air from the raw flesh. In other words, abuse your meat.
SECRET 4: To ensure that your meatballs cook evenly, use a small ice-cream scoop or melon baller to make them all the same size. Wet your hands with cold water when shaping the meatballs, to help prevent sticking.
SECRET 5: Another secret is to boil the meatballs before baking or grilling them. Boil the balls until they float. Boiling helps to keep the meatballs in one piece and ensure that cook.
SECRET 6: Make your meatballs in different shapes. Different shapes give them a more homemade feel and add variety to the eyes. Try flattening them slightly or making them oblong
SECRET 7: The most important secret to making a great meatball is to think outside the box and explore all of the various cultural cuisines available to us.
Meatball Mania
6 meatballs per serving
1 pound ground pork
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
¼ cup parmesan (Keto Low Carb) or vegan Parmesan (Paleo Whole30)*
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup almond meal
*Check out this blog for the Paleo & Whole30 Vegan Parmesan recipe:
KETO PALEO 3-MINUTE VEGAN PARMESAN
Place all ingredients into a bowl. Mix well with your hands. Squeeze the air out of the mixture, throwing it back onto the bowl. Refrigerate for one hour, to let the mixture rest and let flavours come together. Make balls, about one ounce of meat, by rolling tightly to remove any air. Line baking tray with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large pot of boiling water, par-cook meatballs until they float, about two minutes. Transfer meatballs to the baking tray. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until brown. Serve with fresh pasta in favourite tomato sauce.
Wine Suggestion: The combination of proteins with underlying fattiness call for a red wine with enough weight to match. Chances are you will be enjoying these meatballs with keto low-carb pasta. This dish demands a big red wine, such as Amarone, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, or Grenache/Garnacha.
For your FREE Oodles of Low-Carb Noodles Cookbook go to ketopaleosharimac.com and fill out the pink form. The free cookbook will be sent to your email. Check your spam folder.
* The nutritional information provided is approximate, based on the Keto version and is a courtesy only. We cannot guarantee the nutritional accuracy of any recipe on this site. Consult your physician before beginning any new lifestyle or diet.
