![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A few weeks ago, I tried making spicy meatballs, a recipe that has worked very well a couple of times since.
Today, I decided to mix it up. Walking through the Farmer's Market, I got chatting to one of the blokes at the Kezie Foods stall. I asked about using their ostrich mince for meatballs, he suggested a rich tomato & chilli sauce. This is what I came up with:
Meatballs
500g minced meatballs
1 egg
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp grated cinnamon
Plain flour
Salt + Pepper
Combine into meatballs. Forgot to add any ground almonds or breadcrumbs, 200g or so might work better but would also dilute the great flavour of the ostrich meat. As it is, this lot makes 20 meatballs. Put everything but the flour and seasoning in a big bowl, and smoosh together until well mixed. Roll into balls, and roll each ball in the seasoned flour. Fry in 1tbsp olive oil until lightly browned (~5 mins turning halfway), just enough to get the Maillard reaction going. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen roll to soak up the excess fat.
Sauce
1 onion
1 red pepper
2 cloves garlic, ground
1 medium chilli
100ml apple juice
300ml vegetable stock
400g can chopped tomatoes
2tbsp tomato puree
2tsp oregano
2-3 basil leaves
Finely chop the onion, pepper, and chilli. Fry off in 1tbsp olive oil and add the garlic, frying until the onion starts to brown. Add the apple juice, stock, and everything else. Stir well and vigorously simmer (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes to reduce.
Add the meatballs and cover, simmering gently for 25 minutes. Serve with pasta.
That was wonderful. Really, honestly bloody nice, the best meatballs I've created yet. I have many good things to report back to Kezie. But. Part of me wants something to cut through the sweet richness of the sauce and the great meaty flavour of the ostrich to provide a bit of a contrast. My instinct is to squeeze in the juice of half (or even a whole) lime, but I'm not sure if that's the right way to go.
Any suggestions?
Today, I decided to mix it up. Walking through the Farmer's Market, I got chatting to one of the blokes at the Kezie Foods stall. I asked about using their ostrich mince for meatballs, he suggested a rich tomato & chilli sauce. This is what I came up with:
Meatballs
500g minced meatballs
1 egg
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp grated cinnamon
Plain flour
Salt + Pepper
Combine into meatballs. Forgot to add any ground almonds or breadcrumbs, 200g or so might work better but would also dilute the great flavour of the ostrich meat. As it is, this lot makes 20 meatballs. Put everything but the flour and seasoning in a big bowl, and smoosh together until well mixed. Roll into balls, and roll each ball in the seasoned flour. Fry in 1tbsp olive oil until lightly browned (~5 mins turning halfway), just enough to get the Maillard reaction going. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen roll to soak up the excess fat.
Sauce
1 onion
1 red pepper
2 cloves garlic, ground
1 medium chilli
100ml apple juice
300ml vegetable stock
400g can chopped tomatoes
2tbsp tomato puree
2tsp oregano
2-3 basil leaves
Finely chop the onion, pepper, and chilli. Fry off in 1tbsp olive oil and add the garlic, frying until the onion starts to brown. Add the apple juice, stock, and everything else. Stir well and vigorously simmer (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes to reduce.
Add the meatballs and cover, simmering gently for 25 minutes. Serve with pasta.
That was wonderful. Really, honestly bloody nice, the best meatballs I've created yet. I have many good things to report back to Kezie. But. Part of me wants something to cut through the sweet richness of the sauce and the great meaty flavour of the ostrich to provide a bit of a contrast. My instinct is to squeeze in the juice of half (or even a whole) lime, but I'm not sure if that's the right way to go.
Any suggestions?
