Karina Jones is a real-life ranch wife in the Nebraska Sandhills and one of the most highly sought-after speakers in the cattle industry nationwide!
Well all be, March 9 is National Meatball Day so let’s get into the “meat” of things right here on Ranch Raised.
When I saw that today was National Meatball Day, it brought back a flood of memories because I used to make meatballs and my little girls loved them. Why the heck did I ever stop making those little gems?
You can make meatballs with any kind of, well, meat. You add in some herbs, I probably added in an egg or two as a binder. I always popped mine on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and baked them. The parchment paper did help soak up a lot of the grease. I loved baking up double batches of meatballs and throwing a bunch in a bag to pop into the freezer. They unthaw and make for a quick lunch on busy days.
I find it fascinating that so many diverse cultures use the meatball as a staple in dishes. You can cover them in a cream sauce like the Scandanavian do or add them to Chinese dishes. Then of course there is the Italian-American fusion option of a meatball sandwich, which my family loves!
My grandma used to make the best porcupine meatballs with rice in them and then covered in a tomato sauce and baked? Does anyone remember that 1980’s classic? Oh gosh, I need to go find that recipe.
That’s it everyone, let’s have meatballs for supper! Let’s do a big ole recipe swap on the Ranch Raised Facebook page. I want your family’s favorite meatball recipe. Post them all, beef, lamb, pork, even fish. I can’t wait and honestly, I’m needing to shake up our meal rotation, so I am looking forward to this!
Have a great day!
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Watching the cattle industry go the path that it has gone, she could no longer sit quietly at home checking cows, fixing fence, and doing all the everyday tasks wondering when some else was going to make it all better. As she became more active and outspoken on industry issues, she was asked to join the R-CALF USA staff in September 2020 as the Checkoff Petition Campaign manager. That position transcended into her current role as full time Field Director for R-CALF USA.
You can hear her almost every Friday on Your Ag Network’s Hot Barn Report, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and industry reforms. Listen to Ranch Raised on a Your Ag Network hometown station or www.youragnetwork.com where she talks about her daily life on the Jones Ranch.
Cattle producers are her people. She will meet you at the county fair, at the sale barn, or anywhere the dusty trail leads.
karina@youragnetwork.com or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
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