Hedgehog Meatballs
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Cook time:
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You’ll see why they’re named Hedgehog meatballs once they’re cooked! It’s a bit of a strange sounding meal, but it’s such nourishing comfort food.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground meat (we used bison)
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 egg
- 1 medium sized onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- some spices (we used fresh parsley, oregano and thyme)
- salt
- 2 large cans of tomatoes (we used one can of crushed and one can of diced)
- 6 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
Instructions
- Mix everything together except the tomatoes, carrots and celery thoroughly with your hands and form into small meatballs (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches). Brown the meatballs in oil (do them in several batches if needed so that they aren’t too crowded in the pan), and then add the tomatoes, carrots and celery. Let everything simmer together for 20-30 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the meatballs are cooked through.
Is this cooked rice?
Yes, the rice is uncooked and so is the meat when you make the meatballs. It seems strange, but that’s why it’s important to have enough liquid (i.e tomatoes). It’s been a while since I made these, but I think the sauce should pretty much cover the meatballs when you first add it to the pot. It might also be good to let it simmer with the lid on for the first little while.
Also, if you wanted to use brown rice you’d need to modify the recipe so the rice could have a longer cooking time.
I have also seen recipes where the rice is cooked in advance, but I’ve never tried that method. It might be a good way of using up leftover rice though.
I’m glad you commented on this recipe, because I’d forgotten how much I like these. I’m inspired to make them again soon!