White Wine Braised Meatballs, Kale & Spinach

Autumn is in full swing here; although Winter may be making an appearance very soon. The last of the leaves are falling off of our Aspen trees outside my window and the ground has lost it’s green tint in exchange for an amber glow. These views and the cool fall evenings make you want to cuddle up with a nice cozy meal. This meals is perfect for this time of year.

It is not quite soup season yet, but my body still wants something comforting and warm. These braised meatballs give just that. I chose to use ground pork because I had it on hand, but ground chicken or turkey would work just as well. I would steer away from beef, buffalo or lamb for this recipe.

For serving, I chose to make the sauce into a gravy by reducing it and adding a slurry (a mix of cornstarch and water). I served everything over mashed potatoes. If you are craving more of a soup-style meal, you can serve the meatballs and greens in the braising liquid.

White Wine Braised Meatballs, Kale & Spinach

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

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• 1 lb ground pork or chicken/turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c breadcrumbs
• 2 T ground cumin
• 1 T granulated garlic
• 1 T salt
• 1 T dried thyme
• 2 T basil
• 1/2 T black pepper
• 1/2 T paprika
• 1/2 T chili powder
• 1 t crushed red pepper
• 1 T butter
• 1 large shallot julienned
• 4 cloves garlic smashed
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 c white wine I used a Pinot Grigio
• 1/2 c lemon juice
• 2 qt chicken stock
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 bunch spinach

Instructions

 

• For the meatballs, combine the pork, egg, breadcrumbs and spices in a large bowl. Portion the meat into balls and set aside.
• Heat a large, oven safe, saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the butter.
• Add the shallot and garlic cloves, cooking until fragrant.
• Sear one side of the meatballs in the pan, then add the thyme, basil and bay leaf.
• Deglaze the pan with the white wine and lemon juice. Let the wine cook out for a minute or two, then add the chicken stock.
• Cover the pan and braise in the oven at 375F until meatballs are cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
• Add the kale and spinach and braise for another 5 minutes.
• Serve over mashed potatoes or in braising liquid.

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