My research into no-carb meatballs yielded a surprising result - the one ingredient that kept popping up as a substitute for bread crumbs was pork rinds.
Pork rinds? I thought. How weird - bread is made up of flour, pork rinds of puffed pork skin - how can this possibly work? Would they add some weird pork-y flavor and tons of fat? It seemed like some kind of weird parallel-universe idea: instead of vegetarians trying to find meat substitutes, I would now be some uber-carnivore trying to substitute a non-animal product with an animal one. Then I read this article which convinced me that I at least had to give it a go before dismissing it.
Off I went to the corner store (because where else do you find pork rinds but at the corner store?), and once I had my bag of pork rinds in hand, set about smashing them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin.
I sort-of followed a recipe I found online but changed a bunch of stuff including some of the directions which made no sense. The ingredients are simple and you just throw it all in a bowl and mix it up - hands are best for this task.
The result was a nicely flavored, traditional tasting meatball. You could definitely taste the meat without any graininess or "filler" taste, which I really liked. I preferred them to the frozen ones that we sometimes buy out of convenience, which always taste spongy to me. The meatballs were not greasy at all and were just as good the next day. The fact that the recipe calls for dried spices makes it all that more convenient, and the fennel is key. I really like Mezetta Napa Valley Bistro Homestyle Marinara Sauce when I don't have time to make homemade. This one is definitely a keeper!
Low-Carb Meatballs
- 1 1/2 lb. of ground meat - any combination (I used 1 lb ground chuck + 1/2 lb. pork sausage)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 C. crushed pork rinds - traditional flavor
- 2 T. tomato sauce or marinara sauce (no sugar)
- 1 T. dried onion flakes
- 1 t. garlic powder
- 1 t. dried oregano
- 1/2 t. dried basil
- 1/2 t. fennel
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and combine until well mixed.
Form balls using a 1/3 C. scoop and/or your hands - they should be loosely shaped but in a ball form - don't pack them.
Place in the muffin tins.
Bake for 40 - 45 minutes.
Cool on paper towels.
Heat with your favorite no-sugar marinara sauce.
