Lamb Meatballs with SpicedTomato Sauce, Mint, and Feta

Meatballs:

  • 3/4 cup finely diced onion
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 XL egg yolks
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper (or spicy paprika if Aleppo not available)
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 2 lbs. ground lamb
  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Spiced Tomato Sauce:

  • 3 tbsp olive oil (i use grape seed)
  • 3 cups canned San Marzano or Muir glen tomatoes (or italian plum), well crushed
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 small sprig rosemary
  • 1 chile de arbol, crumbled
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 tsp thyme leaves
  • pinch ground cinnamon
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 c freshly squeezed orange juice plus 3 inch strip of orange zest
  • salt and pepper

To Finish:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 lb. feta cheese
  • 2 tbsp sliced mint leaves
  • salt and pepper

Lamb Meatballs:

  • In a large bowl mix together onions, cream, yolks, cinnamon, cumin, Aleppo pepper and cayenne. Place the lamb in the bowl and season evenly with 2 1/2 tsp salt and lots of pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and parsley.
  • Use your hands to combine the mixture well but only work the mixture as much as needed to combine ingredients evenly.
  • Shape the balls into 45 gr balls. (I line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place piles of approx. gram of meatball mixture. When all mixture has been transferred to cookie sheet in this way, I lightly wet fingers and, with my palm, gently roll each of these pile into rows of meatballs.)

Spiced Tomato Sauce:

  • Toast the cumin seeds for a few minutes over medium heat, until they release their aroma and are lightly browned, pound them finely in a mortar or grind them in a spice grinder.
  • .Heat a saucepan over medium high heat for 1 minute then add oil, the rosemary and chile and heat another minute.
  • .Ad the onion, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and bay leaf and saute for 5-6 minutes until the onion is translucent.
  • Add the tomato, sugar, juice and zest, heaping 1/2 tsp salt and some freshly ground pepper.
  • Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium low heat until reduced by one third. Taste for seasoning

Cooking:

  • First,pour the tomato sauce into a large oven to table baking dish (12-nch diameter or 9X11)
  • Heat two large saucepans or 1 griddle, swirl 2Tbs oil in each and wait until hot
  • Place the meatballs carefully in the pan and cook for a few minutes until browned. Turn them over or shake pan until they are evenly browned and have attained an internal temperature of approx. 120 degrees
  • Transfer the meatballs to the baking dish

Note: if you are entertaining, all of the above can be done in advance

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes until bubbling and internal temperature of meatballs are approximately 130 degrees
  • Before serving add the crumbled feta and mint over the dish.

The author Suzanne Goin suggests a Sangiovese wine like a Chianti Classico or Montefalco from Umbria. This ties in the sweet tomato, gamy lamb and tangy feta.

approximately 3000 calories for meatballs or about 100 each and 400 calories in sauce or about 100 per person

Chef's notes