Moroccan-Spiced Beef Meatballs

Recipe adapted from Working Class Foodies. Note: the original recipe called for lamb.

Beef Moroccan-Spiced Meatballs

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Description

Original recipe asked for lamb

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Ingredients

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• for the meatball
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 large egg
• 4 tbsp fresh mint, julienned
• 1/2 cup regular breadcrumbs
• for the sauce
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, rinsed and finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, cored and chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Basic stock or water
• for the gerek rata
• 8 ounces yogurt
• 1/3 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced cucumber
• 1/3 finely diced red onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons julienned fresh mint
• Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Make the lamb: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes, until just translucent. Reduce the heat to medium-low and season with the paprika, cinnamon, and salt and pepper. Stir and let cook down until the onions and garlic are completely soft and brown and sticky. 10 to 12 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, gently mix together the beef and egg with your fingers. Fold in the onion-garlic mixture, 2 tbsp of the mint, the breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper to taste until just combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 15 minutes to let the beef cool off from all the handling.
3. Pinch off pieces of the beef and gently roll them into balls no bigger than a golf ball. Line them up on baking sheets.
4. When all the meatballs are assembled, heat the remaining tablespoons of oil in the skillet you cooked the shallot-garlic mixture in. If that pan’s going to be way too small for all the meatballs, you can do the rest of the recipe in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot.
5. Sear the meatballs for about 30 seconds per side. Reserve the fat in the pan.
6. To make the sauce, reheat the fat. Lightly fry the leeks in the fat for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook down until the tomatoes have released their juices and formed a sauce. 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Nestle the meatballs into the sauce. Cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes, or cover and turn the heat down to low and cook for up to 2 hours. While the beef is braising, make the Greek raita: stir all the raita ingredients together in a bowl.

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