Venison Meatballs Sous Vide

Ingredients:

For the venison meatballs ...

1 pound venison, ground

1 pound pork, ground

4 ounces smoked bacon, finely minced

4 teaspoons salt, kosher

1 cup buttermilk, plus more if needed

1/4-ounce unflavored gelatin, one packet

4 ounces white bread, fresh, crusts removed and bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon marmite

3 fillets anchovies, Spanish white, minced

2 large eggs, fresh, beaten

1 large onion, red, minced, sautéed in olive oil and cooled

1/4 -1/2 cup roasted garlic puree, or 8 large finely minced cloves

3-4 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, plus more for serving.

1/2 cup parsley, flat leaf, minced

1-2 tablespoons oregano, fresh, finely chopped

to taste black pepper, freshly ground

Plum tomato marinara sauce SV1, see recipe

Directions:

1. For the meatballs ...

In a large mixing bowl blend the venison, pork, bacon and salt with your hands until thoroughly combined.

Let the meat mixture rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, pour in the buttermilk and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface of the buttermilk.

Let the gelatin “bloom” for 10-15 minutes.

Add the fresh bread cubes and gently toss until fully saturated with the buttermilk mixture about 10 minutes or so.

Using an immersion blender, gently puree the buttermilk/bread mixture

Add the marmite, minced anchovies, beaten eggs, cooled red onions, garlic puree, parmesan, parsley, oregano and black pepper, to the buttermilk mixture and using a spatula, mix thoroughly.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator, add to the buttermilk bowl, and, using your hands, blend both mixtures together until its evenly and thoroughly combined.

Portion the mixture into 3 tablespoon or so sized meatballs using a scoop or your hands and roll into balls.

Place the balls on a cookie tray or similar and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours or until fully frozen.

Using a VacMaster chamber or suction machine, vacuum seal the frozen meatballs in suitable-sized VacMaster bags.

Preheat the VacMaster SV1 to 60°C/140°F and cook the meatballs for 2 hours.

Carefully remove the bag from the water bath and the meatballs from the bag, reserving the cooking liquid for the sauce.

Place the Plum Tomato Marinara Sauce into a suitable sauce pan.

Add the reserved meatball cooking liquid and let cook for 10-15 minutes over medium high heat.

Add the meat balls and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

*For a more robust offering, broil or pan sear the meatballs on all sides before adding to the sauce.