Prairie Honey-Mustard Sweet and Sour Canadian Beef Meatballs
Prairie Honey-Mustard Sweet and Sour Canadian Beef Meatballs
There’s something about a good meatball recipe that feels inherently Prairie. Maybe it’s the practicality of rolling a few humble ingredients into something crowd-pleasing, or maybe it’s just the way sweet-and-sour sauce feels like it belongs at every community potluck from Moose Jaw to Medicine Hat. These are my latest ode to the classic: comforting, nostalgic and made with pantry staples. Serve them as a festive appetizer or pile them over creamy mashed potatoes for a simple dinner! They work well in a slow cooker, too! (See directions below.) Recipe adapted from the original developed by Dan Clapson of eatnorth.ca.
Ingredients
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (250 mL) dry bread crumbs
½ cup (125 mL) whipping cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp (5 mL) EACH finely chopped fresh rosemary and thyme leaves
1½ tsp (7 mL) salt
Pepper
1 lb (500 g) Medium Ground BeefMustard Sweet and Sour Sauce½ cup (125 mL) tomato paste
½ cup (125 mL) good-quality beef or chicken broth
½ cup (125 mL) Saskatoon berry or wild blueberry jelly
? cup (75 mL) honey
2 tbsp (30 mL) packed brown sugar or maple sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) EACH grainy Dijon mustard and cider vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) EACH pickle brine and soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) canola or sunflower oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Directions
1. Meatballs: Heat a thin layer of oil (about 1 to 2 tbsp/15 to 30 mL) over medium heat in a skillet. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, for about 8 minutes or until softened. Let cool slightly.
2. Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl; add bread crumbs, cream, eggs, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to your taste. Gently mix in beef with a fork just until combined (careful not to overmix).
3. Roll meat mixture into twenty-four 1½-inch (4 cm) meatballs. Place on a plate.
4. Heat a thin layer of oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Cook meatballs, in batches and turning as needed, for 12 to 14 minutes until browned and a digital instant-read thermometer inserted into several meatballs reads 160°F (71°C). Set aside.
5. Mustard Sweet and Sour Sauce: Meanwhile, combine tomato paste, broth, jelly, honey, sugar, mustard, vinegar, pickle brine, soy sauce, oil and garlic in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring well. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until glossy and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Makes about 2 cups/500 mL sauce.)
6. Add cooked meatballs to sauce and gently fold to coat without breaking up meatballs. Simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavours.
Slow Cooker Variation: At the end of step 4, place the cooked meatballs into the slow cooker. Proceed with step 5 and pour the hot sauce over meatballs. Genty spoon the sauce over the meatballs to coat without breaking them apart. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours or HIGH for about 1 hour, stirring halfway (see Tip*). Thirty minutes before serving, set on WARM. Serve in the slow cooker stoneware or transfer to a serving bowl.
Notes
Saskatoon berry jelly adds a subtle berry sweetness and deeper colour but wild blueberry jelly is a good option, too.
Add an extra teaspoon (5 mL) of vinegar if you prefer a tangier sauce.
*I find with some slow cookers the HIGH setting can be more intense than others so it’s best check to make sure the sauce isn’t boiling hard. If so, turn it down to LOW.
