Venison Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce

venisonmeatballscranberries Think of these venison meatballs as the ultimate meatball recipe that you should master for the future. Who can resist rich and juicy venison meatballs with a lovely glaze that consists of wine, port and berry jam? Make this easy homemade venison meatballs recipe in just a few steps. Use fresh cranberries, cranberry jam, port and wine to make the tasty berry sauce.

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided (45 mL)
1 cup onion, peeled and finely chopped (~1 large onion)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
2¼ lbs ground venison (1 kg)
1 cup breadcrumbs (250 mL)
1 egg, whisked
1 cup cranberries (250 mL)
1 cup red wine (250 mL)
6 Tbsp. port (90 mL)
2 Tbsp. cranberry jelly (30 mL)
1 beef stock cube, crumbled
2 sprigs thyme

Using a large frying pan, gently fry the onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) of oil until softened. This should take about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and place in a large mixing bowl and wait for the mixture to cool down.

Add the breadcrumbs, venison and egg to the onions, season generously with salt and pepper and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Shape the meatballs to be about 2" (5 cm) in diameter. Continue doing so until all the mince is finished.

Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and brown the meatballs on all sides.

Add the cranberries and fry for 2 minutes.

Add the wine, port, jelly, stock and thyme and let the sauce reach a slow simmer.

Continue to cook the meatballs in the sauce until they’re cooked through, which would take about 10 minutes.

Serve on a bed of wild rice or creamy mashed potatoes.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

The cranberries used can be fresh or frozen. If using the latter, thaw them first.
If you can’t get hold of cranberry jelly, you can substitute it with red or blackcurrant. In fact, any berry-based jam will do.
Can’t get hold of venison? This recipe works with beef as well.

To Serve:

With venison meatballs being quite rich and intense in flavour, they work perfectly with a lighter and fruity sauce.
Use cranberry jelly, red wine, port and fresh cranberries for that zing.
If you can't get your hands on cranberries, any type of berries will do. The best alternative would be to go for blackberries or a frozen forest-berry mix. Plus, you can use the leftovers in a delicious berry smoothie or a sweet berry-based dessert.
As with any hearty venison meatballs recipes with a fruity sauce, it's best served with creamy potato mash or rice and topped with fresh herbs like thyme.