Porcupine Meatballs

No, these meatballs aren’t actually made with porcupine meat – but they are delicious all the same! The name comes from the rice rolled into the meatballs that look like porcupine quills. These were a staple at my granny’s house when I was a kid, and as an adult they prove for just as filling of a meal that you can easily reheat over the fire while out ice fishing.

 

Ingredients

1 lbs ground venison

1 small onion, finely diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup cooked rice

1 large egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

 

1/3 cup flour

 

1 can tomato soup

1 cup water or beef broth

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

How To Make Porcupine Meatballs

In a bowl, mix the ground venison, rice, onion, garlic, egg and seasoning. Roll the mixture into meatballs (this makes approximately 20 small meatballs).

 

In a pan, heat up a bit of oil. Coat the meatballs in flour before placing in pan. Cook the meatballs until browned on all sides, turning occasionally throughout the process. You may have to cook them in a couple different batches.

 

Pour the tomato soup, water and Worcestershire sauce into the pan with the meatballs. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the meatballs are no longer pink in the middle, which is approximately 45 minutes.

 

Serve over rice or with mashed potatoes.

 

Hint: The smaller the meatballs, the easier they are to cook evenly – a large meatball requires a longer cook time to be done thoroughly.

 

Option: If you find wild game a bit too dry for your liking, substitute half of the ground meat with ground pork.