Recipe from Daniel Holzman, Michael Chernow and Lauren Deen
Adapted by Julia Moskin
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- 4(267)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is essentially a bacon cheeseburger in meatball form. The cooked steak should be diced into small bites, not ground, for the best texture. —Julia Moskin
Featured in: Meatballs, Lucky to Be a Leftover
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Ingredients
Yield:About 2 dozen meatballs, 6 to 8 servings
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 1onion, minced
- Scant 8 ounces bacon, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1pound cooked steak, diced
- 1pound ground beef, 80% lean
- 6ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 3large eggs
- ½cup unseasoned bread crumbs
- 2teaspoons salt
- Black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
584 calories; 46 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 33 grams protein; 488 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion and bacon, and cook, stirring, until bacon has browned and onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onion and bacon to a plate and cool in refrigerator.
Step
2
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Use the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Step
3
In a large bowl, combine steak, ground beef, cooled bacon and onions, cheese, eggs, bread crumbs and salt, and mix lightly but thoroughly by hand. To taste for seasoning, heat a small skillet and fry a chunk of the mixture until browned. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step
4
Roll mixture into golf-ball-size balls, packing firmly. Pack snugly into the prepared dish, making even rows to form a grid. Roast for 20 minutes, or until firm and cooked through. (The center should be at 165 degrees.)
Step
5
Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Ratings
4
out of 5
267
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Cooking Notes
Ana B.
Question: is the steak cooked but the ground beef raw when you mix everything in Step 3? I will be making them next week for a party and want to make sure I don't misunderstand!
Jilli Robertson
Made a half rule and it was very good. I would drain the bacon and onion on paper next time. There was just a little too much fat, though the meatballs were very moist.
Lewis
These were terrific! A big hit at our New Year's party. Making them for Super Bowl too. I made 50 gram balls (larger than golf ball size) and froze them raw. Then baked them as directed (still frozen) to reach 165 degrees. That way I could make them ahead of time and just cook them the day of.
LoriB
Wow--these were a huge hit! I made them exactly per the recipe and wouldn't change a thing. One technique that made things easier: using Target's chuck tender steaks (4=1#) and pan-frying them to about medium rare, then cutting them in smaller chunks and chopping them in the food processor to a mince. The texture was consistent with the other ingredients. I made them walnut-sized and yielded 32 meatballs. Loved being able to bake instead of fry--still got a nice crusty top.
LJAuld
Any recommendations for cooking these ahead of time? Can they be completely cooked then frozen and reheated or, freeze uncooked and baked per instructions after thawing?
Curry
Mix 3 eggs beaten and 1/4 cup milk add breadcrumbs and soak.Chop bacon steak and onions together in food processor.Add a little green Chile.
John
Too late for your party, but yeah you use raw ground beef.
BZ
I made the full batch. I followed the recipe quite closely, but with the following exceptions: I had really huge "jumbo" eggs, so I only used two. It was enough. Also, both the bacon and the cheese were really salty, so I didn't add the additional two teaspoons. They didn't need it - they were plenty salty just as they were. Finally, I put them in a cold oven, turned it to 350, and then shut it off after 20 minutes without opening the door, and just left them in. PERFECT
Lance
These are really good. I only wish i would have cooked the steak medium rare. I cooked them medium and after going into the oven with the rest of it, the steak bites were just a little tough. Nobody complained. Was a loved dinner. Strange to not have a sauce. Ate with rice. Great recipe.
Figaro
Try ketchup; chili sauce; ketchup mixed with Sriracha; also, add 1 TB Worcestershire to the meatball mixture plus some smokey paprika.
Lewis
These were terrific! A big hit at our New Year's party. Making them for Super Bowl too. I made 50 gram balls (larger than golf ball size) and froze them raw. Then baked them as directed (still frozen) to reach 165 degrees. That way I could make them ahead of time and just cook them the day of.
Jeff
I've made these several times now and, in addition to being tasty, they feed two people at least four different times, unless one has a huge appetite. I make the full recipe, then freeze half of them uncooked. I roast them in a cast iron skillet outside on the grill, using indirect heat. I would suggest a temperature of about 400°, however, as the bottoms brown very quickly. I turn them about halfway thru to caramelize 2 sides. We eat 3 each the first night, leftovers a couple nights later.
TammyA
Cook bacon and onion separately, mix near the end to make sure bacon is cooked enough. Sous vide-ing the steak makes perfect temp (rare) before chopping and mixing. A special holiday treat!
Tori
Followed this recipe exactly and they were delicious. Served with penne alla vodka and braised carrots. Hoping the leftover meatballs freeze well.
Jeff
These were good enough, but it's much easier to make a bacon cheeseburger than to go to the trouble of chopping onions and bacon and cooking them and then dicing steak, mixing and forming meatballs and baking. I was really looking forward to these as I had leftover delicious rare balsamic/soy/EVOO/garlic marinated flank steak and hoped some of the flavor might be in the meatballs. Nope. Bacon cheeseburger. These are pretty labor intensive for what they are.
Jeff
I made the second half tonight. (I had frozen half of them when I initially made them.). My partner begs too differ with my above assessment. He thinks they're really good. So, I guess I'll make them again sometime when we have some good leftover rare-medium rare steak.
Bacon always girs well with maple syrup...
Very tasty, even the skeptical meatball snobs liked them. I substituted ground beef and used a cup of panko breadcrumbs and a bit of maple syrup. After letting them sit overnight, i fried to brown and baked in a toaster oven.
John Manor
So, you substituted ground beef for the steak? So it was all ground beef? And maple syrup? Perhaps you posted your review on the wrong website, because you obviously didn't make this recipe!
doobs
I diced a pound of bacon from the butcher. Added 2 cloves garlic to the bacon and onion. Sauteed for a long time to brown as there was a lot in the pan. No steak. 2 large eggs and seasoned panko. Had a bag of shredded cheddar; added 4 oz. Delicious meatball/mini slider. Maybe a baguette slice with dijon and a pickle.
Amy
These were SO good! They were honestly a lot of work to bring it all together, but I think the end result was worth it. Next time I"ll probably try cooking the steak less, I aimed for a med-rare this time and will probably shoot for rare next time. And I'll also cook them less. 20 minutes dried them out a bit. But they were still very tasty! I served them with a rip-off of McDonald's Secret Sauce.
Mike
Great recipe, used this recently, everyone enjoyed it. Does anyone know if this can be baked in a foil pan (to bring somewhere I can't leave my baking dish)?
Spark
Excellent! Great hot or cold. Baking is so much easier than browning. Being dentally challenged I used good not-too-lean burger (from butcher - not a grocery store) and no steak. Came out great - nice and moist.
LJAuld
Any recommendations for cooking these ahead of time? Can they be completely cooked then frozen and reheated or, freeze uncooked and baked per instructions after thawing?
Curry
Mix 3 eggs beaten and 1/4 cup milk add breadcrumbs and soak.Chop bacon steak and onions together in food processor.Add a little green Chile.
Lance
These are really good. I only wish i would have cooked the steak medium rare. I cooked them medium and after going into the oven with the rest of it, the steak bites were just a little tough. Nobody complained. Was a loved dinner. Strange to not have a sauce. Ate with rice. Great recipe.
LMT
Did anyone make a sauce or gravy to go with these? Do they need it? I want to make but am concerned they need an accompaniment
Figaro
Try ketchup; chili sauce; ketchup mixed with Sriracha; also, add 1 TB Worcestershire to the meatball mixture plus some smokey paprika.
Lewis
These were terrific! A big hit at our New Year's party. Making them for Super Bowl too. I made 50 gram balls (larger than golf ball size) and froze them raw. Then baked them as directed (still frozen) to reach 165 degrees. That way I could make them ahead of time and just cook them the day of.
BZ
Very popular with my family. I have made them twice now - once with leftover steak and once with leftover roast beef. A bit more time consuming than my "go-to" meatball recipe (from Claudia Roden), but really good and a nice change of pace. We made some GREAT meatball sandwiches out of the leftovers, using Mexican "bolios" mini-loafs.
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