LAMB MEATBALLS WITH SPICED TOMATO SAUCE

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



Lamb Meatballs With Spiced Tomato Sauce image

Here is a recipe from the Los Angeles chef Suzanne Goin that plays to children as well as to the most sophisticated of palates. It is for crisp lamb meatballs cooked through in a fragrant, vaguely North African sauce of tomato sauce zipped up with orange juice and warm spices, then topped with feta and mint. Ms. Goin first served the dish at one of her Los Angeles restaurants, and put it into ''The A.O.C. Cookbook'' (2013), devoted to that restaurant's food. A version of the dish was later introduced to the menu of her children's school. It can be cooked in an hour's time, not all of it busy, and served with pita or plain pasta, bulgur or couscous.

Provided by Sam Sifton

Categories     brunch, dinner, lunch, weekday, sauces and gravies, appetizer, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 27

1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
¼ cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks, extra-large
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch red-pepper flakes
Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 pounds ground lamb
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small sprig rosemary
Red-pepper flakes to taste
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon white sugar
¼ cup orange juice
1 3-inch strip of orange peel, pith removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves

Steps:

  • Preheat broiler. In a large bowl, mix together the onion, cream, egg yolks, cinnamon, cumin, red pepper and cayenne. Put the lamb in the bowl, and season it aggressively with salt and pepper. Add the bread crumbs and parsley, and combine the mixture well. Shape the meat into balls that are a little larger than golf balls.
  • Grease a baking pan with olive oil, and put the meatballs onto it, spaced evenly. Place beneath the broiler, and cook, turning once or twice, until the meatballs are well browned, approximately 5 to 7 minutes, then set meatballs aside. Turn oven to 400.
  • Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill, or whizz them quickly in a food processor. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat for a minute, then add olive oil, rosemary and red pepper and shake to combine. Cook for another minute, then add onion, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and bay leaf and sauté until the onions are translucent, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, sugar, orange juice and peel, along with salt and pepper.
  • Cook for 8 to 10 minutes over medium-low heat, until reduced by a third. Adjust seasoning.
  • Pour the tomato sauce into a large baking dish that you can put on the table. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce, putting them about ½ inch from each other. Bake for 15 or 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the meatballs are cooked through.
  • Top with crumbled feta and scattered mint.

Pk Redoy
[email protected]

I made these meatballs for a party and they were a huge hit! Everyone loved them. The meatballs were moist and flavorful, and the sauce was tangy and delicious. I will definitely be making this dish again.


Yameem Ali
[email protected]

This recipe was easy to follow and the meatballs turned out perfectly. The sauce was also very good. I would definitely recommend this recipe to others.


Asad Qureshi
[email protected]

I love this recipe! The meatballs are so flavorful and the sauce is delicious. I've made it several times and it's always a hit with my family and friends.


Tessa Vaughn
[email protected]

These lamb meatballs were delicious! The meatballs were moist and flavorful, and the sauce was tangy and flavorful. I served them over pasta and it was a great meal. I will definitely be making this dish again.


Jordan Aichholz
[email protected]

I made these meatballs for a party and they were a huge hit! Everyone loved them. The meatballs were moist and flavorful, and the sauce was tangy and delicious. I will definitely be making this dish again.


Aakashi Shah
[email protected]

This recipe was easy to follow and the meatballs turned out perfectly. The sauce was also very good. I would definitely recommend this recipe to others.


Charity Smith
[email protected]

I love this recipe! The meatballs are so flavorful and the sauce is delicious. I've made it several times and it's always a hit with my family and friends.


Gull Shair
[email protected]

I followed the recipe exactly and the meatballs turned out great! They were moist and flavorful, and the sauce was delicious. I served them over rice and it was a great meal.


Aisha Oliver
[email protected]

These lamb meatballs were a bit dry for my taste, but the sauce was very good. I might try adding some more moisture to the meatballs next time, maybe by adding some grated vegetables or bread crumbs.


Connie willey
[email protected]

I made these meatballs for my family and they loved them! The meatballs were moist and flavorful, and the sauce was tangy and delicious. I will definitely be making this dish again.


Ihtisham Ahmad
[email protected]

This recipe was easy to follow and the meatballs turned out perfectly. The sauce was also very good. I served it over pasta and it was a delicious meal.


Naira Mustafa
[email protected]

I love your lamb meatball recipe! The meatballs are so flavorful and the sauce is delicious. I've made this dish several times and it's always a crowd-pleaser.


Pakeeza Bakhtawar
[email protected]

These lamb meatballs were a hit at my dinner party! The spiced tomato sauce was flavorful and tangy, and the meatballs were moist and tender. I will definitely be making this dish again.