Bison Wild Rice Cocktail Meatballs with Ginger Glaze
By Nick Schneider
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground bison from Buffalo By Bike
- 3/4 cup cooked wild rice from Birchberry or Prairie Hollow
- kosher salt (generous pinch) and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1.5 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup finely chopped green onion, white and green parts
- 2 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
Ginger Glaze
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1 cup stock or water
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled & minced well
Instructions
For the Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Rinse the rice briefly in a sieve. Add rice, pinch of salt and enough water or stock to cover the rice by ¾ inch to a pot that is as wide as it is tall. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for approximately 25-30 minutes. The rice should be light and fluffy.
Mix the bison, spices, egg, onion and rice thoroughly by hand in a bowl. Form into meatballs approximately 1 ounce (~1 inch) size for cocktail or canapés or larger for use in a entre of pasta with sauce, for example. The meatballs can be frozen flat on a sheet tray raw at this point.
Cook the meatballs by heating 3 Tablespoons cooking oil in a large oven-proof sauté pan. When hot add the meatballs in 2-3 batches. Allow them to brown a little on several sides, stirring or shaking the pan after the browning occurs. Put the pan in the pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes until done. When they come out of the oven, add the some of the glaze to the pan, toss to coat and put onto tray or another bowl. Repeat next batch with clean pan.
For the Ginger Glaze
Combine all the glaze ingredients and add to a sauce pan, reduce until thickened, approximately 10 min. This can cook on back of stove while sautéing the meatballs.
Toss or brush the meatballs with the glaze, tooth-pick and serve.
