Meatballs Stewed in a Spicy Tomato Sauce

Storm season in Brisbane, when the wind is high and the nights are dark, kindles romance in the hearth. And when I say romance, I meant that the nights are conducive to recreating fanciful inspirations from the Arabian nights ~ beef or lamb (which we may be led to imagine the sheikhs and sultans feasted on in the tale), spices, and longevity.

Seriously, you can whip up a batch of these and eat them slowly for a week or so (stored properly in the fridge, of course!). I’ve tried to replicate the texture of adana kebab in the meatballs and stewed these slowly in a tomato sauce that has been enriched with herbs and spices. The spice is more sweet than hot and although the combination is rich, it is far from being cloying.

All you need is a plateful of couscous or rice or pasta or even, bread (anyway, your carb of choice) and a crisp cool salad and you’ve got a veritable banquet before you!

Meatballs Stewed in a Spicy Tomato Sauce



Meatballs:
500 g Ground beef (don’t get the lean variety)
1 T each Black pepper, Sugar, Soy sauce
2 t each Chilli powder, Oregano, Thyme
½ t each Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, Ginger
1 T Vegetable oil
½ c Semolina
½ pc Onion, minced
¼ c Garlic, minced

Sauce:
2 T Butter
1 T Olive oil
½ pc Onion, minced
1 T Sugar
¼ c Garlic, minced
½ t each Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice
1 c Wine
2 pcs Bay leaves
1 t each Oregano, Thyme
1 tin Cubed stewed tomatoes
2 t Paprika
Salt, black pepper, and chilli powder, to taste

Combine all the meatball ingredients and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Shape them into large meatballs, which are about 1 ½ inch in diameter.

Heat 1 T of butter in a pot. Brown the meatballs. Add the remaining butter, olive oil, and minced onion. Saute this until the onions are wilted before adding the sugar, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Saute this until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the bay leaves, oregano, and thyme. Add the tomatoes and paprika. Stir and season to taste. Let he stew simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot.