Bacon-Jalapeño Balls With Everything Carrots

Bacon-Jalapeño Balls With Everything Carrots
4 (8 ratings)
“These meatballs take all the best parts of a standard diner burger— crispy bacon, spicy jalapeños, juicy beef, secret sauce, seeded bun—and deliver them in an easy-to-make, pop-‘em-in-your-mouth meatball. It’s a burgers-and-fries combo that makes you feel good, inside and out! The “everything” blend on the carrots works equally well on parsnips or slow cooker potatoes.” — Melissa Joulwan, author of Well Fed Weeknights.For more recipes from Melissa Joulwan, click here.This recipe is reprinted with permission from Well Fed Weeknights: Complete Paleo Meals in 45 Minutes or Less by Melissa Joulwan, copyright © 2016. Distributed by Greenleaf Book Group. To buy a copy of the book, click here.
Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 4 strips bacon
  • 1/4 medium yellow onion
  • 1/2 jalapeño
  • 1 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 4 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 pound undefined
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoon plus ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup pickle slices
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cut the bacon crosswise into ¼-inch-wide pieces. Place it in a cold nonstick skillet. Fry over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Pour the grease out of the pan, leaving whatever clings to it, and return to the heat.
  3. Grate the onion and mince the jalapeño. Add to the skillet and sauté until the jalapeño is soft, 1-2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  4. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, salt, pepper, paprika, bacon, and cooked onion and jalapeño. Measure a 1 tablespoon scoop of meat and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining beef mixture. Place the balls on one of the baking sheets and cook for 10-15 minutes, until browned.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper.
  6. Peel and crush the garlic. Add it to the bowl. Toss until the carrots are coated with seasonings. Spread carrots on the other baking sheet and cook in the oven for 20 minutes (preferably at the same time as the meatballs).
  7. Smash and peel the garlic cloves. Place them in a pint-sized Mason jar. Add the egg yolk, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, vinegar, tomato paste, paprika, mustard powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Blend with a stick blender until puréed. With the blender running inside the jar, add the remaining ½ cup oil and blend until smooth. Mince the onion and pickles, and stir them into the sauce with a fork.
  8. Pile the carrots and meatballs onto the plates, and drizzle with the sauce.