Beef Stroganoff Meatballs (gluten-free)

My family was surprised by how much we all enjoyed the food from Russia during our homeschool world trip. One of our favorite Russian-inspired dishes was Beef Stroganoff Meatballs. I was pleased to learn that Beef Stroganoff is often served over mashed potatoes in Russia, and my family really enjoyed eating this dish over buttery Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. My husband also gives this meal a thumbs-up as a frozen meal that he can re-heat for lunch at work.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Olga's Flavor Factory but I've made quite a few changes to make this recipe work better for my own family.

Beef Stroganoff Meatballs

Serves 6-8

Meatballs:

• 1 large white or yellow onion, minced

• 2 Tb butter, preferably from grassfed cows

• 1&1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably from grassfed cows

• 1 egg, preferably from pastured hens

• 1&1/2 Tb white rice flour

• 1&1/2 Tb sour cream

• 1&1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

• 2 Tb refined coconut oil plus 1 Tb butter

Stroganoff Gravy:

• 2 Tb butter, preferably from grassfed cows

• 1 pound brown mushrooms, sliced

• 1 scallion, minced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 Tb white rice flour

• 3 Tb dry vermouth* or dry white wine

• 4 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade

• 1 tsp celtic sea salt

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 3 Tb sour cream

• 1/2 tsp dried dill

1. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in 2 Tb butter for about 15 minutes.  Adding a small sprinkle of salt will help the onion cook faster, since it causes the onion to release its moisture. Let the onion develop a bit of brown, caramelized color.  Turn off heat and allow to cool off a bit.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, sour cream, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine. Then add the caramelized onion and sprinkle with 1&1/2 Tb white rice flour. Stir until everything is well mixed.

3. Form the meatball mixture into small meatballs. I like to use a 1 Tb scoop to easily make the meatballs uniformly-sized. 

4. Heat a very large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2Tb refined coconut oil and 1 Tb butter, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the meatballs and cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes.  (If you don't have a very large skillet, the meatballs will need to be cooked in two batches.) Turn the meatballs and cook another 3-4 minutes. It is okay if the meatballs are not fully cooked during this step, as they will continue cooking in the gravy. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside. 

5. Melt 2 Tb butter in the very large, heavy-bottomed skillet.  Add the sliced mushrooms and scallion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 8 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and cooked down.  

6. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, just until fragrant.

7. Stir in 4 Tb rice flour to coat the mushroom and scallions.

8. Whisk in the broth and vermouth. The vermouth can be omitted if desired, but it really does add good flavor to the recipe. The alcohol evaporates out of the recipe very quickly while it cooks.

9. Bring the sauce to a simmer and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, until it has thickened nicely. Taste the sauce and add salt to taste.

10. Whisk in the heavy cream, sour cream, and dill. Add the meatballs to the gravy and simmer for 5 more minutes.Turn off heat and serve. This recipe makes plenty of gravy so it is excellent when served over mashed potatoes.

*I love to use vermouth instead of wine, as it doesn't go bad like unused wine. Vermouth is shelf stable, can be used in place of dry white wine in cooking, and can be stored at room temperature indefinitely.

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