Spicy Orange Bison Meatballs

Meatballs immediately before serving.

Sauce without the meatballs.

As I was researching recipes for bison meat, this recipe called out to me! Orange flavors tantalize and freshen my taste buds. How could I pass this one up? So I made these meatballs tonight, and they were a big hit.


The preparation time is only 30 minutes, but the cooking time is long, 1 hour and 15 minutes, because you brown the meatballs, then make a sauce and simmer the meatballs in the sauce for an hour. You only need to check the meatballs occasionally, so they really don't take a lot of effort. You just need to plan ahead for their cooking time.


The ingredients are:
1 pound ground bison meat
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 cups water
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Preparation:

First, mix the bison, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire, salt, black pepper, and garlic in a mixing bowl with wet hands until combined. When well mixed, make small balls (this quantity of ingredients should yield about 24 of them). 

Meatballs just before adding the sauce ingredients.

Add the 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to a deep skillet (one with a lid) and preheat on medium. When preheated, add the meatballs and brown well on all sides. When done, pour off the small amount of excess grease. Then add the rest of the ingredients to the skillet and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer slowly for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. 

Meatballs and sauce immediately before finishing.

After simmering for an hour, remove the meatballs to a plate with a slotted spoon and save. Turn the heat up to high and boil the sauce until it reduces down to about 1 cup, forming a thick glaze. Then turn the heat to low, add the meatballs back in and cook until they are heated thoroughly. Taste for salt and spiciness, and adjust if needed. Serve hot.


I must admit that I left out the pepper flakes, because we don't like spicy food...but I can understand how they will add some pizazz to the recipe. I served the meatballs over a bed of rice. We also had summer squash and a tossed salad. I added the new Italian cucumbers from the farmers market to the salad. They were delicious. 

Tossed salad with spinach, tomatoes,
mushrooms and Italian cucumbers.

They had a slightly melon taste and were milder tasting than regular cucumbers, but I really like their crunchiness and texture. They have quite a refreshing taste!


I think this is a great recipe, but simmering for an hour on a hot summer evening might not be a great idea. Here we are so accustomed to air conditioning that the extra heat in the kitchen was not noticeable, but I'm sure the air conditioner had to work harder and use more electricity. For that reason I think this might be a better fall or spring recipe for our region of the country. However, the orange taste is so refreshing that if I base my opinion purely on taste, this seems like a summer recipe.