What's on the Grill #289: Meatballs with Grilled Romaine & Buttermilk Dressing

This is an unconventional grilled meal, and I love it.  More often that not, meatballs are baked, or if cutting corners, re-heated in a crock pot.  A salad is usually tossed and hardly ever grilled.  That being said, there is something magical about taking romaine hearts and placing them across a hot fire. The quick amount of heat adds a whole new dimension to the crunchy dense leaves.  

Meatballs and fire?  What else can be said?

Add in a homemade buttermilk dressing and you have the makings of a meal anything but ordinary.

Meatballs with Grilled Romaine and Buttermilk Dressing
Adapted from Weber's Time to Grill

Meatballs

1 lb ground flat iron steak
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
2 large eggs
2 T ketchup
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

2 hearts of romaine, split in half

Dressing

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonaise
2 ounces feta cheese
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 t freshly ground pepper

1 T fresh chives
1 t minced fresh thyme leaves

When it comes to ground meat, I always grind it myself, and when it comes to a good blend, I find flat iron steak works really well.  It's the right flavor with a good mix of protein and fat.

With the meat ground, mix it with 1/2 t of salt and 1/2 t of pepper in a small bowl.

Shape into balls. Place on a baking sheet and slightly flatten. They will cook more evenly and won't roll around the grill.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a food processor and combine. Pour into a small bowl and stir in the thyme and chives.

Drizzle the romaine hearts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Prep the grill for direct medium heat.

Grill the meatballs over direct heat.  Figure out 3-4 minutes a side, turning once.

After the meatballs are on, grill the romaine.  The romaine takes about a minute a side.  Grill until each side is marked and slightly wilted.  Remove from the grill.

Serve with the dressing drizzled over the romaine.

And there it is, meatballs and romaine made not only without a crockpot and salad spinner, but with a grill and hot coals.  It's unorthodox.  It's different.  It will make you want to double the recipe.