Pork and Mushroom Gravy Meatballs
Freeze-dried mushroom gravy over pan-browned meatballs, built from a shelf-stable kit at camp.
- calories
- 520
- weight
- 7 oz
- cal / oz
- 74
- protein
- 28 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 45 min
- total time
- 65 min
- water
- 500 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Liquid fuel
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Actual cooking
Ingredients
| Ground pork | 1 lb | shoulder grind; rides in the cooler, cook it the first night |
|---|---|---|
| Dried powdered mushrooms | 1/4 cup | porcini or chanterelle, ground fine at home |
| Breadcrumbs | 1/2 cup | |
| Powdered whole egg | 1 tbsp | plus 2 tbsp water |
| Powdered milk | 3 tbsp | stands in for the cream in the meatball mix and the gravy |
| Dried minced onion | 3 tbsp | 2 tbsp for the gravy, 1 tbsp for the meatballs |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Dried thyme | 1 tsp | |
| Kosher salt | 1 1/2 tsp | |
| Dried sliced mushrooms | 1 oz | about 4 oz fresh once rehydrated |
| Beef bouillon | 2 tsp | makes 2 cups of stock |
| All-purpose flour | 2 tbsp | |
| Olive oil | 3 tbsp | |
| Worcestershire sauce | 1 dash | small dropper bottle |
| Brandy | 1 splash | optional, and it does earn its weight |
Method
- Pour 2 cups of boiled water over the dried sliced mushrooms in a cup and leave them 15 minutes. Strain the liquid off, keep both. Grit settles at the bottom, so don't pour the last inch in.
- Mix the powdered egg with 2 tbsp water. Work it into the pork along with the breadcrumbs, powdered mushrooms, 1 tbsp powdered milk, 1 tbsp dried onion, garlic powder, half the thyme, and the salt. Roll about 20 balls.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in the skillet over a moderate bed of coals or a low stove flame. Brown the meatballs on all sides, then set them aside on a plate or in the lid.
- Add the last of the oil, the drained mushrooms, and 2 tbsp dried onion. Cook until the onion softens and the mushrooms take on color, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and let it cook a minute. Add the brandy if you brought it, then pour in the reserved mushroom liquid with the bouillon whisked into it. Stir until it thickens.
- Return the meatballs, cover, and hold it at a bare simmer for 35 to 45 minutes. Add water if the gravy tightens too far.
- Kill the heat. Slake the remaining 2 tbsp powdered milk in a few spoonfuls of the hot gravy, then stir it back in with the rest of the thyme and the Worcestershire. Do not boil it after this.
The original is a kitchen dish with heavy cream, fresh mushrooms, and homemade stock. Three swaps make it a car-camping dinner: dried mushrooms rehydrated in bouillon water do the job of fresh mushrooms and stock at once, powdered egg binds the meatballs without a carton in the cooler, and powdered milk stirred in off the heat replaces the cream. The pork is the only thing that needs cold, so this is a first-night meal.
The mushroom soaking liquid is the whole point of the gravy. Don’t dump it. Pour carefully and leave the gritty bottom behind, then whisk the bouillon into what you saved. Long, slow simmering is what makes the meatballs tender, and coals hold that heat better than a roaring fire does.
Packing
Meatball dry mix in one bag, gravy dry mix in another, dried mushrooms in a third. Pork stays frozen in the cooler and gets cooked the first night out. Oil, Worcestershire, and brandy in small bottles.
Variations
- Ground lamb or venison both work. Lean grinds need the full 45 minutes to go tender.
- Instant mashed potatoes made in the same pot afterward turn this into a full plate.
- Sour cream powder in place of the powdered milk at the end gets closer to the original tang.
https://foragerchef.com/meatballs-with-ischnoderma-gravy