Skillet Beef and Greens Balls
Meatballs rebuilt from freeze-dried beef and dried greens, browned in one pan at camp.
- calories
- 610
- weight
- 4.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 136
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- 300 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
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Backpacking
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Actual cooking
Ingredients
| Freeze-dried ground beef | 4 oz dry | cooked crumbles, not raw |
|---|---|---|
| Dried spinach or kale flakes | 1/4 cup | |
| All-purpose flour | 3 tbsp | whole wheat works and holds better |
| Powdered egg | 2 tbsp | equals one egg |
| Grated parmesan | 1/4 cup | the shelf-stable canister kind |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Onion powder | 1 tsp | |
| Dried oregano | 1 tsp | |
| Dried basil | 1 tsp | |
| Salt and pepper | 1/2 tsp each | |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | for the pan |
Method
- Boil about 250 ml of water. Pour it over the beef and greens in the pot and let it sit 8 minutes, covered.
- Drain off anything loose. The mix should be damp, not wet.
- Stir in the flour, powdered egg, parmesan, and all the seasonings, plus 2 to 3 tbsp of water. Work it with a spoon until it holds together when you squeeze it.
- Roll into balls about the size of a walnut. You should get ten or twelve.
- Heat the oil in the pot over a low flame. Brown the balls in two batches, turning every couple of minutes, about 8 minutes total.
- Pull them when the outsides are set and crusted. They are already cooked through, so you are only after the crust.
The original is a baked meatball with fresh greens and a raw egg, neither of which survives a pack. Freeze-dried cooked beef solves both problems at once: it rehydrates into crumbles that already have the texture of browned meat, so the pan work is about crust, not doneness. Powdered egg and flour do the binding they always did.
The rehydration water is the thing to watch. Too much and the mix will not hold a shape; too little and the balls crack apart in the pan. Drain hard after the soak, then add water back a spoonful at a time. Parmesan is not optional here — it is salt, fat, and glue in one ingredient.
Packing
Everything dry except the oil goes in one bag: beef, greens, flour, egg powder, parmesan, spices. Oil rides in a dropper bottle. Weigh the flour and egg powder at home so camp is one pour.
Variations
- Simmer them in a pouch of shelf-stable marinara for the last five minutes and serve over instant polenta.
- Skip the rolling and cook it loose as a hash. Same food, half the fuss.
- Swap the beef for freeze-dried sausage crumbles if you want more fat.
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/italian-meatball-recipe