I love to deer hunt.  So do my kids.  Here in the south, deer season runs from October to February and you can shoot four deer.  That does not even count trips to Iowa. (More on that later).  As a result, we have deer meat running out of our ears.  Sure people want you to give them some venison.  ”Can I have some of the tenderloins?”  ”Do you have any backstraps to spare?”  I don’t remember anyone ever asking me, “Can I have some deer hamburger?”  You get the picture.  With hunting season winding down, my freezer contains more ground meat than a McDonalds on the Cimmaron Turnpike.  The traditional ground venison recipe is chili.  And while I certainly love a good bowl of chili, along with a cold beer, I can assure you that your children will revolt if you serve it more than five times per week.  In the end, you have to get creative.  You need something that is not only tasty, but versatile.

Enter the meatball.

The meatball has become to my family what shrimp was to Bubba in the movie, Forrest Gump.

Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.

That may be an over exaggeration, but, I have discovered that you can do a heck-of-a-lot with meatballs.  We use them for pasta dishes, soups, appetizers, sandwiches . . . well you get the picture.  Today, I will reveal the basic recipe.  For some of the more creative uses, you will have to follow my blog or use your own imagination.

To quote my father-in-law, I bastardized a recipe for Asian-Style Elk Meatballs I found in Wild Abundance, A Cookbook Anthology.   As an aside, if you are an outdoorsman, you need this book.  To quote from the dust jacket, “Wild Abundance is a one-of-a-kind book paying tribute to the cooks, guides, spirit and culture that make southern duck hunting clubs unique.”

Back to the meat of the matter.  You mix three pounds of ground venison with three eggs, one sleeve of crushed saltine crackers, 1 cup of cooked white rice, 4-6 cloves of minced garlic (we like garlic), 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of fresh ground black pepper (I like pepper).  That’s it.  Simple.  I must confess that I have found that three pounds of meat mixes wonderfully in my wife’s KitchenAid mixer.

After you have mixed all of the ingredients, you simply roll into meatballs of the size of your choosing.  For soup, I make them small.  For sandwiches I make them large.

Now we get to the creative part.  I have seared the meatballs in a cast iron skillet.  I have smoked the meatballs on my Big Green Egg.  I have grilled the meatballs without any smoke.  I have used raw meatballs and let them cook in my soup or sauce.  I have even used this mixture to make meatloaf in the oven and on the grill.  Each method has its virtue.  I will say, while I love smoked meats, be careful when smoking venison.  A little smoke goes a long way.  Also bear in mind that it is easy to overcook venison.

The best part of this recipe, and also making three pound batches, is that the meatballs freeze beautifully.  I have frozen them both raw and cooked with great results.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Please let me know how you use the meatball.