Dr. BBQ’s Smoked Meatball Gumbo

From the Ray Lampe’s Big Green Egg Cookbook

I only know about gumbo from the Cajun chef. I’ve never had it, and I’ve never seen it, but when I saw it in the Big Green Egg Cookbook I was curious. Especially the part of the recipe about smoking the meatballs (I’m going to try this when I make meatballs to go in marinara sauce). Now that I’ve made it and ate it I’m a believer!

My only suggestion, find the file’ powder well in advance. Apparently, it’s impossible to find unless you live in or around Louisiana. I found it on Amazon (because everything can be found on Amazon), but you should leave yourself some time for it to come in the mail.

EGGcessories Needed:

• Perforated Cooking Grid
• ConvEGGtor
• Dutch Oven

Makes about 8 servings

The recipe said 8 servings, but these must be servings for people who can really pack it away! There were three of us eating and I had more than two-thirds of the gumbo left over. It was a good problem to have. I froze some for future leftovers, with enough leftover for leftovers later in the week!

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 12 ounces ground beef
• 12 ounces ground pork
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh curly parsley
• ½ teaspoon granulated onion
• ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup dried bread crumbs

Gravy

• 1 cup corn oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 2 cups andouille or smoked pork sausage
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 jalapeno chiles
• 2 ½ cups canned diced tomatoes
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 tablespoons file’ powder

• Cooked white rice, for serving
• Hot sauce, for serving

Directions

Prepare the EGG to cook indirect with a drip pan at 350° F with pecan wood added for smoke flavor.

To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine the beef and pork, break them up into small pieces, and mix well.

Lightly beat the eggs and pour them over the meat. Finely chop the parsley, then sprinkle it, the parmesan, granulated onion and garlic, salt, and pepper evenly over the eggs. Using your hands, mix together until fully blended.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and mix again until well blended.

This is exactly how I make meatballs when I’m making macaroni and meatballs.

Form 16 meatballs, each about the size of a golf ball. If you’re using a scale the meatballs will weigh 2 ounces each.

I was so close! There are 15 meatballs in that picture!

Spray a large perforated grid with vegetable cooking spray and place the meatballs, not touching, on the grid.

We don’t use cooking spray in our house. We use lard to grease cookie and cake pans, and (in this case) perforated pans. 🙂

Place the grid in the EGG and cook for 45 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking, start the gravy in the kitchen. Heat a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat.

Finely dice the onion, green and red peppers. Finely dice the sausage. Crush the garlic and seed, de-rib, and mince the jalapenos.

If you’re using bouillon cube to make the beef broth, start that now.

Add the oil and flour to the Dutch oven and mix well with a wooden spoon to create a roux. Cook, stirring constantly until the roux is a dark chocolate brown. This will take 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your heat. Do not try to rush the process, and be careful not to burn the roux or you’ll need to start all over. If you feel it’s close to burning, turn down the heat. This is particularly high risk toward the end.

Took me the full 30 minutes. That was a lot of stirring. I switched hands like 20 times. But it was really important to keep the stirring going. I could see the flour browning in places where I hadn’t stirred recently. If you need to run out to get the meatballs go for it, but don’t dilly-dally.

As soon as you think the roux is dark enough, add the onion, celery, and bell peppers and continue stirring. This will cool the roux and end the risk of burning. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

Add the garlic and jalapenos and stir and cook for 1 minute.

Add the sausage and continue cooking and stirring for another 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, thyme, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes.

Add the broth, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

When the meatballs are done, add them to the gravy and stir well.

Place the Dutch oven in the EGG, cover the Dutch oven, close the EGG lid, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point.

Remove the Dutch oven cover, close the EGG lid, and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point.

Remove the pot from the EGG. Add the file’ powder to the gumbo and stir until the sauce thickens.

Serve the gumbo spooned over rice.