Pomegranate Venison Meatballs

 Pomegranate Venison Meatballs

 4 Servings | 10-minute Prep Time | 2 hour and15-minute Cook Time

Ingredients

1 lb. Venison, ground

¼ lb. Pork, ground (optional: depending on fat content of your venison you may not need to add more; however, if cooking at elevation, add ground pork for additional fat content)

1 Shallot, minced

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Large Egg

¼ c. Breadcrumbs

¼ c. Parmesan, grated

2 tsp. Oregano, dried

2 tsp. Rosemary, dried

2 tsp. Thyme, dried

1 c. Pomegranate Molasses

1 ¼ c. Ketchup

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Microgreens (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium frypan. 

Add shallots to the pan and cook them until they are nearly translucent.  About 3 minutes.

Add garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, careful not to burn it. About 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and place shallots and garlic in small dish to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, add the egg and whisk.

Add breadcrumbs, parmesan, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and the cooked shallot/garlic mixture to the mixing bowl.  Stir to combine.

Add venison to the mixing bowl.  Using your hands, combine the meat with all of the seasoning ingredients until they are well incorporated, but be careful not to overmix/overwork the meat.

Roll meat mixture into 16, “two-bite”, appetizer-sized meatballs.

Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake meatballs for 15 minutes.

Remove meatballs from the oven, set aside.

In a 4.5-quart slow cooker, combine the pomegranate molasses and ketchup. Stir to combine.

Using tongs, add the meatballs to the slow cooker. Then, stir to coat them in the sauce.

Let meatballs and sauce cook together on low for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve as is or with microgreens on top.