Ingredients
2 tbsp. duck fat (or other cooking fat or oil)
1/2 c. red onion, diced (from about 1/2 a medium red onion)
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 c. cooked wild rice, cooled
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 tbsp. Montreal steak seasoning (or other steak seasoning)
2 lb. ground bison
Kosher salt (optional)
Chopped fresh herbs, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 350° and line a medium baking sheet with aluminum foil.Step 2In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat fat or oil. Cook onions until translucent, 4 to 6 minutes.Step 3Add tomato paste to onions, and cook until darkened, 10 minutes more. (If you’re worried about your onions burning, lower the heat to medium-low.) Remove from heat.Step 4In a large bowl, stir to combine wild rice, dried cranberries, steak seasoning, and onion-tomato paste mixture. Add bison and stir until well incorporated. If your steak seasoning does not include salt, season with kosher salt.Step 5Use a heaping 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion meat into 20 meatballs. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F (for well done). If using, top with fresh herbs. Serve hot.
Pro tip: bison meat is quite lean, so we like cooking our meatballs a liiittle below the USDA’s recommended 160°F. If you’re looking for a medium-rare meatball, aim for closer to 145° F. Made these? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
