PATRICK'S MEATBALLS

Our younger son Patrick likes to go deer hunting. Last year a friend killed a deer and gave him some deer meat. Since deer season will be approaching sooner than we know, he gave us some packages or frozen ground deer meat that he had extra along with this recipe for meatballs. He bragged how good they were and that you would never guess they were made with deer meat. I was a little skeptic, I have to admit, but he was right - you would never guess it wasn't ground beef.

Click here for a printable version of just the recipe.

PATRICK'S MEATBALLS

3        lbs ground meat (2 lbs deer + 1 lb pork)
1-3/4 cups milk
1       teaspoon chili powder
1       teaspoon onion salt
1       teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
3       eggs
1       cup oats
1       cup cracker crumbs


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the ground deer meat and ground pork until well blended.

Add the chili powder, onion salt, garlic salt, salt, and pepper to the milk.

(If you measure the milk in a 2 cup glass measuring cup, you can use the cup as a mixing bowl.)

Add the three eggs

and mix well. Set aside.

Add oats and cracker crumbs to meat

and work in to evenly distribute them in the meat mixture.

Add the milk mixture. 

 

I used my cookie scoop (1 tablespoon) and formed a ball in my hand with two scoops.)

Place on cookie sheet close but not touching.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. (I did cook mine the full 20 minutes.)

Remove to wire rack to cool.

Freeze in ziplock freezer bags. 

Patrick's favorite way to serve them is to heat some in a slow cooker with his favorite bbq sauce. (Heat on low for a couple of hours til heated through.)

We served ours over rice.