Catfish Out of Water

I live alone, so I oftentimes have leftovers. And I know that "leftovers" is kind of a dirty word. Not everyone likes to think that their food isn't freshly made to order. I hate to break it to you, but most restaurant dishes are made days ahead of time. They're sitting on that line frozen for months before being thawed and used within a 7 day window of time. Aged meats and cheeses can be prepped up to 10 or 14 days ahead of time. So, if you think that you're not a leftovers person? Restaurants might not be the right place for you! As much as reheating something sounds tedious, leftovers can be an opportunity to make something fun and new. I made Venison Burgers w/ Limburger & Caramelized Onions yesterday and now I'm into Venison Meatballs mode.

I tend to leave a couple of patties uncooked when I make burgers. That way, I can make burgers again within the next day or two (although restaurants will leave raw meat in the refrigerator for up to a week). If you don't want burgers multiple days in a row, there are a plethora of other things that you can do with the leftover meat. Obviously I'm making meatballs today, but you can also just sauté up the ground venison and sprinkle it on salads, with scrambled eggs, or any number of other dishes.

Gallery

Variations of Venison Meatballs

I don't tend to eat much meat. I'll occasionally splurge on seafood and shellfish. So, I had quite the conundrum when I debated over whether or not to post a series of meat recipes. Especially venison recipes because it gets into the ethics of hunting. Although I want to normalize more ethical meat consumption and I'm more on board with going out hunting and using all of the meat in the most sustainable way possible than using the meat of animals raised in confinement for slaughter. I have an entire article on What Does "Mostly Vegetarian" Mean & Will I Post Meat Recipes? For those who aren't looking for red meat, I have a multitude of other vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian dishes with my more typical content!

Falafel w/ Hummus, Tzatziki, Radish, & Sprouts

Barbecue Salmon Burgers w/ Tartar Sauce & Tomatoes

Salad w/ Tofu Steak, Cherry Tomatoes, & Walnuts

Pasta w/ Venison Meatballs & Grand Cru

These Venison Meatballs consist of ground venison, garlic, eggs, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of salt and pepper. Between venison and Grand Cru? This is also a quintessential Wisconsin dish. Obviously the venison is local, but Grand Cru is also an alpine-style cheese that originated in Wisconsin. It's a semi-soft cheese that's somewhat reminiscent of fontina, gruyère, or Jarlsberg. Although you can easily substitute parmesan or even a sharp white cheddar.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

• Large Pot
• Stovetop

Ingredients

  

Venison Meatballs

• 1 lbs. venison ground
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• dash salt
• dash pepper

Pasta

• 1 lbs. pasta (I used spaghetti, although any pasta of choice will do)
• 1/3 grand cru (or parmesan)
• dash salt
• dash pepper

Instructions

 

Venison Meatballs

• Combine all of the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Roll into 1/2-inch balls.

  You can make them smaller or larger to preference, just adjust the cooking time to accommodate.
• Preheat cast iron skillet on medium-high heat.
• Place patties on the preheated skillet and fry until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. Carefully flip and repeat until the entire meatball is cooked.

Cook Pasta

• Meanwhile, add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Cook pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically entails boiling for about 8-12 minutes, or until barely al dente.
• Remove the pasta from the water.

Assemble

• When the pasta and the meatballs are both cooked, add pasta to a bowl or plate, top with meatballs, shredded cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper.