Who better than a rancher to know all the ways to enjoy ground beef? Juliana Robinson works with her husband, Eric, to run Shields Valley Ranchers in Wilsall. She shares four ways to turn hearty meatloaf into party- sized flavor bombs. Robinson swears it’s all about the glaze. She serves up bite-sized meatballs in a traditional tomato ketchup, with a whisky bourbon glaze, or in a creamy warm country gravy. We also encourage trying them with Asian flavors like a Korean barbecue glaze.
SERVES 8
MEATLOAF MEATBALLS
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½–2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons milk
1 large egg
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
¼ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare baking trays with parchment paper.
Sauté onions in butter until slightly brown. Add garlic and sauté 2–3 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a bowl, combine ground beef with onions, garlic, milk, egg, panko, Worcestershire, ketchup, mustard, thyme, and Italian seasoning. Mix well.
Use a cookie dough scoop to portion mixture into 1- to 2-inch meatballs. Bake for 20 minutes.
While meatballs are baking, make your preferred sauce or glaze (recipes below).
For meatballs with traditional sauce, bourbon glaze, or Korean barbecue: After 20 minutes, remove meatballs from oven, insert a toothpick into one and dip it into the sauce or glaze, covering the whole meatball. Return to baking sheet and repeat with remaining meatballs. Place trays in oven and continue baking for 5–10 minutes.
For gravy meatballs: After 20 minutes, remove meatballs from oven and top with creamy brown gravy.
TRADITIONAL TOMATO SAUCE
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until well blended.
BOURBON GLAZE
½ cup bourbon
½ cup barbecue sauce or ketchup
1 cup triple berry jam or preserves
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Dash red pepper chili flakes to taste
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until thickened.
CREAMY BROWN GRAVY
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
A pinch of garlic powder
Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in flour. Whisk in remaining ingredients and allow to thicken.
KOREAN BARBECUE SAUCE
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup water
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
¼ cup liquid aminos
3 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar
2 tablespoons gochujang paste
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ cup puréed pears
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until there are no lumps. Set aside.
Heat the toasted sesame oil in a sauté pan over medium heat until it sizzles when sprinkled with water. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute until fragrant. Stir in the cornstarch-water mixture. Add the liquid aminos, maple syrup, gochujang, rice vinegar, and puréed pears. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until it thickens, 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and use immediately or transfer to a clean airtight container. Sauce stores in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
