Lamb With Rosemary Meatballs and Jerky

You know those racks of snack items that REI has lining the checkout line “gauntlet”?

Well, this little treat caught my eye in July before my Eagle Cap Wilderness backpacking trip: Mediterranean Lamb Meat & Veggie Bars. You know me, any chance I can sneak in those veggies!

I also picked it up because it has a great ingredient list with items most of us who cook already have at home.

They are SO flavorful and soft. But pricey as most jerky is. I admit it, I’m thrifty. I usually make some jerky for the summer and so I thought I would try my own version. It’s a great way to ditch the soy (and gluten), sugar and preservatives in most store bought jerkies.

#groundlamb #carrots #spinach #redonion #freshrosemary #sea salt #garlic powder #turmeric

Their version relies on apricots and dates to give the jerky its soft texture. I opted for a bit less sugar in mine and substituted carrots in their place. This did mean that mine was not quite as “moist” but it means the jerky will last longer without refrigeration. If you want to go with something a bit more like the original, I give the optional ingredients needed in the recipe below.

I bought my lamb from Central Market that offers local options on meat for reasonable prices. If you are on a budget, ground grass fed beef or turkey could work, too.

I added some red onion…

I am not sure why they call it red onion. It’s really purple, right? So pretty. I used fresh rosemary from my local co-op…and spinach!

After boiling the carrots and onions in water to make them soft, I added all the veggies and spices to the food processor so it will blend in well with the meat.

It came to about 2 cups of mixture.

I then blended it together with the meat in a large bowl. Do the best you can but don’t worry if it’s not perfect. As for the salt: I used 2 teaspoons because on the trail I like things a little saltier/spicier. You can adjust the amount to your own liking.

Spread it out in the dehydrator as thin and even as you can. Use the meat temperature setting of 145-155 degrees.* It will take 15-17 hours to dry completely. You can flip it over half way and break it into pieces to make sure it is dry through. Check on it as it nears the end, you want it dry but not brittle.

I actually made double the batch and it was about dinner time so I thought I would see how these were as meatballs! If you have made meatballs (or meatloaf) before, you know that they call for a binder like breadcrumbs and eggs. It turns out these worked perfectly without them! I did use only 1 teaspoon of salt for these. Using a 1/4 cup scoop, these made 13 large meatballs baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Then, I roasted a spaghetti squash with the juices of the meatballs until tender.

This was so delicious I have been eating it all week! My coworker keeps asking me what I am eating because the rosemary makes it smell so good.

For those of you planning to make a softer meat and veggie bar like the original Zora bar and you are not worried about shelf life, you will add the apricots and some date paste to the veggie mix and reduce the carrots to 1 cup. Just soak a cup of dried apricots ahead of time so they blend easier.

For more snack ideas to eat on the trail, check out my page How To Go Day Hiking Paleo. If you are new to dehydrating or want more information, especially if you need your meals to last more than a month without refrigeration, please visit my Dehydrating 101 page to find out how to do it safely. And if you enjoyed this recipe, head over to my Hiking and Backpacking Paleo Index for over 60 tasty treats to take on your next outdoor adventure!

*Most dehydrators dry meat at 145-155 degrees. However, current food safety recommendations call for meat to reach an internal temperature of 160 and ground meat to 165 degrees for 10 minutes in order to kill foodborne pathogens that may remain in the meat. After drying the meat (particularly ground meat), preheat your oven to 275 degrees, place on a baking sheet and flash heat for 10 minutes to bring the internal temperature of the meat to 165 degrees. You will find different information on the internet, the USDA says to do this step first and the National Center For Home Food Preservation says after is fine. Backcountry Paleo wrote up a whole post on safety steps for jerky here. Recommendations continue to change over time and personally I do not worry about this step as I purchase quality meats and still do things like eat raw eggs in mayonnaise or cookie dough or enjoy a nice steak medium rare. I include this information here so you can make the decision that is best for you. Kind of like that warning at the bottom of restaurant menus: “Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness”.

Lamb With Rosemary Meatballs and Jerky

This is a great recipe for either meatballs for dinner at home or jerky out on the trail. It’s also a good way to sneak more vegetables into you diet!

Prep Time
20 minutes

Cook Time
7 minutes

Total Time
38 minutes

Dehydrating Time
15-17 hours

Course: Dinner, Snack

Cuisine: Autoimmune Protocol, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nightshade Free, Nut free, Paleo, Soy free, Whole Food

Servings: 5 servings

Ingredients

1 pound ground lamb
2 cups carrots
1 cup spinach
1 cup red onion diced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup dried apricots soaked (optional)
1/4 cup date paste or medjool dates (optional)

Instructions

Cook the carrots and onions in boiling water until soft. If using the apricots and dates, reduce carrots to 1 cup.
Add the carrots, onions, spinach, rosemary, sea salt, garlic powder and turmeric to the food processor and blend well. If using the optional apricots and date paste, add at this time.
In a large bowl mix the ground lamb with the vegetable mixture until well blended.
Spread out onto jelly roll trays in the dehydrator as thin as you can. It will take 15-17 hours to dry depending on how thick it is. You can check half way through and flip to dry more completely. You can also break it up in to smaller pieces as it dries.
After drying the meat (particularly ground meat), preheat your oven to 275 degrees, place on a baking sheet and flash heat for 10 minutes.
Store in an airtight container. The jerky with the apricots and dates will need refrigeration.
If making the meatballs for dinner, form into large balls using 1/4 measuring cup or spoon and bake 375 for 25 minutes. Makes 12-13 large meatballs. Serve with spaghetti noodles baked in the juices of the meatballs or another oil of your choice.

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