Ingredients

The following ingredients have 24 Servings
  • 2 cups sweet onion
  • 5 shallots
  • 1 head black garlic
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • salt & pepper (to taste)
  • 16 oz ground elk meat
  • 1 shallot (finely chopped)
  • 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup panko (or plain bread crumbs)
  • 2 tablespoons marjoram
  • 1 tablespoon summer savory
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup sherry (or white wine)
  • salt & pepper (to taste)

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the loose outer layers of onion skin from each onion, but leave a thin, single layer intact. Cut the onions in half and trim the roots off. Repeat with the shallots but only trim the roots instead of cutting in half. Place cut side down in a baking dish so that the onions are all in a single layer but touching.
  • Peel the black garlic. Disperse all the cloves, whole, over the onions and shallots. Drizzle the entire dish with olive oil then place in the oven and roast for and hour and a half to two hours.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the elk meat, shallot, whole grain mustard, egg, hoisin, marioram, summer savory and salt and pepper until completely combined. Roll the meat into inch round balls.
  • Add the butter and olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, sear the meatballs on all sides but do not cook all the way through. The outsides should be golden brown but almost uncooked in the center. Set the seared meatballs aside.
  • Pour the sherry or white wine into the skillet to deglaze it, scraping up the brown bits. Let the liquid reduce by half then pour the beef broth into the skillet. Bring to a simmer then slowly stir in the flour, 1-2 tablespoons at a time until the broth has visibly thickened. If too thick, add more broth; If too thin, add more flour - then pour in the heavy cream as necessary to achieve a creamy gravy.
  • When the roasted onions and shallots are ready, they should be soft to the touch of a fork and the skins should be pulled off easily with little to no resistance. Remove the skins and discard.
  • Place the seared meatballs in the same dish as the roasted onions and shallots. Pour the gravy over the meatballs. Place back into the oven and continue to cook for another 25-30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through at 130°F-140°F. Let meatballs rest for 5 minutes prior to serving to let the gravy set. Serve on a large platter with a helping of crusty bread and enjoy.