Vegetarian Apple & Sage Beef Meatballs

Total time45 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.7

(20)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the meatballs

1 ½ lb ground beef (85% lean)
1 medium apple (such as honeycrisp or fuji), peeled and finely grated
3 tbsp cassava flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp fine sea salt

For searing

2 tbsp coconut oil

For the pan sauce

¾ cup apple cider (unsweetened)
¾ cup bone broth (homemade or aip-compliant brand)
Chef's tip
Use the same amount of low-sodium vegetable broth. It won't give the body or richness of bone broth, so it's best where broth is mainly a cooking liquid or flavor base.
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp arrowroot starch

For serving

1 tbsp fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

1
Grate the apple on the fine side of a box grater, then squeeze the grated apple firmly in your hand or in a clean kitchen towel over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible — this keeps the meatballs from becoming dense and wet.
2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, squeezed grated apple, cassava flour, garlic, chopped sage, ginger, turmeric, Ceylon cinnamon, and salt. Mix with your hands until just combined and uniform — do not overwork the meat.

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