From Muntballs to Meatballs: An Interesting Recipe

If you're anything like me, you just read the title of this post and wondered what the heck Muntballs are.  A recipe for these meatballs was recently shared with me and it totally threw me for a loop.  The original recipe calls for minced Muntjac, which sent me no relief because I still had no idea what that meant. It was the first time I'd stumbled on Mike Robinson's "Wild Kitchen".  Then things quickly fell into place for me.  The "meatballs" are actually made from Muntjac Deer. Which I had never heard of either! So, things got interesting to say the least. This is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.

It was a big relief to know that I wasn't the only one that was mildly perplexed by the meatballs. They went ahead and tried to tackle the recipe over at Foodsessed too. I let out an ahhhh when their adapted recipe included beef instead. After checking out their post,  I felt more confident to try to recreate this recipe as best as I could using ingredients that are readily available here. After doing searches on other ingredients like Passata, I felt ready to give this recipe a try. In case you hadn't heard of that either, Passata is a thick paste made from strained tomatoes and used especially in Italian cooking. I thought to use tomato paste immediately, but that just didn't seem right to me. A nice big jar of thick pasta sauce seemed to fit the bill better.

As an aside, I also got a few giggles when I read the original recipe. I'm not used to following recipes that suggest adding a "man sized knob of butter". But, the description sure does get the point across! Directions also state that you should sprinkle a bit on your balls as you serve in regards to grated nutmeg. It was a unique and entertaining read for sure!

The original recipe says you can swap Munjac for  veal, pork or even lamb but like Foodsessed, I decided to go with ground beef. I swapped other things and tried to measure out as best I could for a balance. My family loved them, so it worked great for us.

Here's what I did!

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

1 lb ground beef
¾ Cup Ricotta cheese
1-3 Cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
A little grated lemon zest
One egg
Dash of pepper

For the sauce:

24 oz Jar of Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp. butter
Three smashed cloves of garlic or equivalent in minced garlic
Salt to taste
A sprinkle of fresh basil
Nutmeg

Here's how I made it:

I preheated my oven to 400°F.  In a large bowl, I added all of the ingredients for the meatballs using my hands to fold it all in until fully blended. I divide the mix into large meatballs. I made about eight. I baked for 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, I added butter and garlic and then the tomato sauce. Turn the heat on low, I let simmer while mixing frequently. When the meatballs where done baking, I added the meatballs to sauce. I spooned the sauce over them and allowed to soak in the sauce for about 5 to 10 minutes. Lastly, I sprinkled some fresh chopped basil and a dash of nutmeg (on those balls, ha) before serving.

I can't help but to be curious about how these taste in comparison to the original recipe. I was really impressed with the outcome and glad I had a chance to try something a little different. The addition of cheeses to the meatballs makes them unusually moist and unique. I'd highly recommend giving it a try sometime!

Want to venture out and try something new? Make sure to check out the original Muntball recipe.

So, I'm curious, would you try the original Muntballs?