Lamb Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce

These lamb meatballs, brightened with mint and a little dried currant, simmered in a creamy mushroom sauce, are real comfort on a plate. They come together in about 30 minutes and taste like the kind of cooking that reminds you whole foods can be genuinely, deeply good.

Lamb is the medicine here. Red meat is a source of zinc, a mineral involved in immune regulation and gut-barrier repair, and it is a source of iron and B12 that support steady energy through this season of care. The mushrooms and the coconut-milk sauce make it rich without any dairy, and the seasoning, mint, oregano, cinnamon, and currants, keeps every ingredient working in your favor.

The lamb was a living animal, and it deserves your respect on the plate. Source it from a farm you trust and use it with care. When the meatballs are spooned into their sauce, let the dish look as good as it tastes, set it beside something green, take a breath, and eat it slowly. Presence at the table is part of the medicine.

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon dried currants, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

The source binds the meatballs with 1 egg, which is off-limits on strict AIP. Omit it. Ground lamb is fatty enough to hold together well without it; roll the balls a little more firmly and they keep their shape.

Mushroom sauce:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (omit for interstitial cystitis)

For interstitial cystitis, leave out the coconut aminos. The source lists no other off-limits ingredients.

Method

• Combine the ground lamb, mint, oregano, minced currants, cinnamon, and salt. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, pressing each one firmly so it holds without the egg.
• Warm the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the meatballs, turning, until browned and cooked through. Set them aside.
• For the sauce, soften the garlic and shallot in coconut oil in the same pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and soften.
• Pour in the coconut milk, chicken broth, and coconut aminos. Simmer until the mushrooms are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
• Return the meatballs to the pan and spoon the sauce over to warm them through. To stretch it into a soup, thin the sauce with more broth.

Oven variation

Bake the rolled meatballs on a lined sheet pan at 425F for about 15 minutes, until cooked through, while you build the sauce on the stovetop. Then fold them into the finished sauce. (verify - source figure)

Slow cooker variation

Brown the meatballs first for the best texture, then hold them in the slow cooker with the prepared mushroom sauce on low for 1 to 2 hours to let the flavors marry. (verify - untested conversion)

Instant Pot variation

Use the saute function to brown the meatballs and soften the shallot, garlic, and mushrooms, then add the coconut milk, broth, and coconut aminos. Cancel saute, return the meatballs to the pot, and use the keep-warm setting to hold everything together for a short while before serving rather than a high-pressure cook, which can overwork the lamb. (verify - untested conversion)

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*