Buffalo Style Meatballs
Have you ever read a book that made you laugh because the main character reminds you of yourself? A couple weeks ago I mentioned that I was reading $64 Tomato that was recommend by Heather at http://www.bodaciousgirlblog.com/
The premise of the book is one man’s obsession to raise his own vegetables and a hilarious recount of his trials from fighting Japanese beetles, sod worms, groundhogs, and all other garden pests. At the end of the book he adds up all the amount of money he has spent on his garden and determines that the Brandywine tomato he just picked cost him 64 dollars.
Every year my single person garden has turned more and more into an obsession that can be generally overwhelming. What person needs 16 pepper plants, 10 tomato plants, rows of beans, rows of peas, rows of beets, carrots, lettuce, well I think you are getting the picture? Heck even this year before the last seed was in the ground I was plotting how to get another raised bed into the garden because I could be raising garlic, leeks, shallots, and more stuff.
The other part that made me die of laughter was in the book the author was talking about giving away produce. I find myself doing that and wondering are people just taking the produce to be nice and when they get home they just shake their heads and dump them in the nearest trash can. I like to think that my friends are the type of people who are going to break out the canning equipment or make fresh tomato sauce while singing my praises. Heck I would settle for the poor unused tomatoes getting tossed in a compost bin.
Thankfully I know my tomatoes are not 64 dollars a piece but they are not cheap when you factor in hours spent weekly weeding, turning compost, researching new fertilizer recipes to experiment with, soil, water, sigh going to stop here because this is starting to freak me out how much time and money I actually spend on my obsession. No wonder my friends worry I do not get out of the house enough.
Now that I think about it I should do something for the Bread Baker’s Apprentice challenge. Unfortunately that would cause me to think about how much time I spend making sure Bob the Blog (my sourdough starter) is happy and full, money spent on frequent deliveries of baking supplies from King Arthur (I swear the DEA is going to be knocking down my door any day now arresting me on charges of drug possession because no one man should be receiving this much “flour”), hours spent pacing in front of an oiled bowl full of a dough ball praying it doubles or even moves, having to dump a kitchen aid bowl full of what should have been a happy dough because I can not read and dumped 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of yeast when it should have been 1 tablespoon of yeast and 1 teaspoon of salt (sadly this seems to be a weekly ritual which means back to kingarthur.com to overnight more flour), and just general research to figure out what in the freak is a couche.
All of this just to make a bread that may cost me a couple dollars in the grocery store. Like gardening I am not doing it because I want to save money instead I am doing it because it genuinely interests me and I find the end results satisfying. Like the joy I get from the first caprese salad from the year made from fresh basil and tomatoes the smell of cinnamon rolls baking and cooling is enough for me risk burning my mouth just for a sample taste. Oh god I am slowly turning into a baker……
Anyways, enough rambling and on to the dish which is just one of those simple dishes that I always enjoy making and a spin on one of my favorite items the chicken wing. Everyone always says it is a weird combination but for someone like me who buy hot sauce by the gallons it is a perfect combination of heat and flavor. Pair it with some blue cheese crumbled over top or stuffed in the meatballs it is a perfect meal or appetizer.
For the meatballs you will need:
- 1 lb ground burger
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- Heavy pinch of kosher salt and black pepper
For the buffalo sauce you will need:
- 3/4 cup of hot sauce (I used Franks Red Hot)
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic diced
Steps to success for meatballs:
- Combine all the meatball ingredients together
- Form into balls
- Put in the refrigerator for a good couple of hours so they can firm up
Actually cooking the dish:
- Over medium-high heat add a good squirt of high temperature oil (I used canola)
- Add the meatballs and cook till browned all over
- Remove the meatballs and set aside
- Drain all but one tablespoon of the reserved grease
- Add in the onion and cook till softened (about 5 minutes)
- Add in the garlic and cook for another minute
- Add in the butter and hot sauce
- Add the meatballs back in
- Put in the oven and cook till the meatballs are done (about 25-30 minutes depending on the size of them)
- Serve and enjoy!
We need a garden. Well, if we each had our own house, that’d be feasible. Oh well. You keep enjoying yours! And please can you make some sort of hoagie roll for the BBA, toss those meatballs in it and overnight to us? Thanks!
Oh wow, those sound amazing right now! I think I am definitely going to have to try this one out, and with lots of blue cheese. Your post always make me laugh…I think, just maybe, you might be more of a baker than me.
That looks great to me! I love Franks.
When I make pizza I put a little blob of garlic mayo down on my plate and then cover it with Franks. The za gets dipped in there and I am in heaven.
Don’t worry about the gardening and baking time and money… you are in good company!
This looks like football food Jeff! Can you tell I’m a little anxious for it to start! This is the first year we’ve had a garden and I love it! You think you’re obsessed, I go out and take pictures of it! It’s the joy of nurturing something and watching it grow,then being able to freeze and enjoy it in the winter. It’s a win win situation. I wish we had more room to plant more veggies, next yr we’ll plan it out better. Like you I have at least 10 pepper and tomato plants. The peppers aren’t a problem but the tomatoes are just starting to get ripe so i need a plan …..Quick!!
*Winning the battle against Japanese beetles, sod worms, groundhogs, and all other garden pests = $$$$
** $64 Brandywine tomato just picked from your own garden = Priceless!
That is hilarious Jeff!. Got to buy that book. Thanks for mention it.
So, how much was it again for your meatball?
You do it with passion and that all it counts. Love fresh veggies from the garden. Don’t have one, this year, and I miss it so much. Great meatballs.
buddies with prolific gardens make the best friends–i hope your benefactors appreciate the goods!
great balls o’ meat, of course. i’m thrilled about the pig-cow combo.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM,….excellent!
Wow… your garden sounds great!
Looking at the meatballs make me drooling right now
My husband would love these! We figured that our homemade bread is actually a lot cheaper than the store bought though I haven’t figured in time…
I really would love to garden and grow my own vegetables and fruit. Well, maybe I’m just in love with the idea of it. They have people in the LA area that will come to your backyard and do all the work for you (plant, harvest, nurture), but to me that just seems lazy. I wish I was your neighbor! For now I’ll be satisfied with farmers’ market produce.
These sound delish! I can’t wait have a proper garden myself next year. This year I have to be happy with my few tomato plants, a jalapeno and a massive herb garden.
Jeff, I have to laugh at your garden escapades!! I wish I had the energy to plant all that goodness. My topsy turvy tomato plants still aren’t giving me anything close to a tomato, I’m thinking I might have to try again next year??
Anyway, I love this recipe for the meatballs. Is it too spicy to make a meatball sammy out of it??
OMG, your post could have been written by me!
When we moved to our house almost 9 years ago, we discovered with an acre lot, we could have the best garden.
What did we try to do first? CORN! Well, turns out you have to plant corn REALLY REALLY close so as they grow they can support each other.
My husband and I had so many strings criss crossed trying to get those damn corn stalks to not fall over, to no avail.
Next year was tomatoes, zucchini and peppers, until we realized a family of bunnies were eating up everything before we could even pick it.
Love this buffalo meatball recipe!
Jeff! I could totally veganize these! I owe you one.
What a great idea!
Ii wonder how these would be in a sub, with a little blue cheese and diced celery? hmmm. I think I’m hungry, damn it. Your fault.
It seems that you have a nice garden…I did a lot of growing veggies before and was so much work…now I am into herbs…only herbs. The meat balls look so yummie, like when there are both pork and beef in it. Nice picture.
I know what you mean. My friends always laugh when I tell them about some new complicated thing that I’m making (cough gnocchi cough). But it’s for the experience and the end result. Of COURSE I could buy the gnocchi already frozen at the supermarket. But that wouldn’t be as fun. Or as messy.
I love buffalo sauce and these meatballs sound awesome!
This looks incredible. My husband would absolutely love these.
Thanks. I am going to make them this weekend.
I so enjoy the way your introduce your dishes! I wish I had your garden…Plants just seem to die on me.
And the meatballs looks fabulous! I’ve never thought to use buffalo sauce on top!
Actually, I think having and tending a garden keeps you sane. Or maybe that is just my justification! I am loving this recipe with the buffalo sauce. Very inventive there, my friend!
Great half time snack! Get out the blue cheese dip!
That totally cracked me up. I spent a fortune trying to grow tomatoes and a bunch of other stuff last summer & ended up w/ a couple little cherry tomatoes- everything else died.
I’m all over those meatballs- they look great, and I’m going to pretend that you didn’t post any cinnamon rolls for me to look at
I love vegetable gardening too, but my garden this year is sadly lacking because I’ve been too out of the country or otherwise busy to tend to it. At least the tomatoes and basil are still going, so that’s something, right? I wish I had friends that gvve me their extra produce. I’d totally use it!
Nah! Don’t worry, the DEA is deep into MJ’s case right now so don’t think they’ll bother you at all. Just don’t spill or leave traces of flour at yr front porch! By the way, the meatballs look truly fantastic! I’d say, quit yr job & start an eatery!
One more thing…you shld take shots of your garden & post them. Gardens always inspire.
We host a hockey party every year…these are going to be a sure-fire hit! Thanks for the post, and you’ve inspired me to garden and bake (the two things I’ve never been able to master!).