This Melt-In-Your-Mouth Meatballs and Sauce recipe is legendary. Every time we have my family reunion, it is expected that I will be bringing my famous, delectable, melt-in-your-mouth, so tender you can spread them with a butter knife meatballs in the richest, thickest, tomato sauce you have ever had in your life.
Because if I don’t bring this Melt-In-Your-Mouth Meatballs and Sauce, there will be anarchy and many sad faces, too. I recall an incident where I had to monitor how many meatballs people were serving onto their plates as some of the “heartier” eaters were piling their plates with up to 12 each.
Don’t worry; I brought down the hammer and made the culprits share what they had taken before they could manage even one bite.
I now make my fabulous meatballs in a Crockpot, but I have heard that she at one time simmered them for hours on low in a large stainless steel pot. This pot is a bone of contention among the children. Kathy, being the oldest, claims that she can’t not have this during reunions.
These Melt-In-Your-Mouth Meatballs and Sauce have become so popular in our house now that I subconsciously almost always have a pack of lamb mince in the freezer just in case. I’m not sure that it is a perfect summer recipe, in the same way, that any meat and gravy dish wouldn’t be ideal in the heat, but the perfect summer is a dim and distant memory now. Otherwise, for me, they are perfect.
The meatballs don’t have any breadcrumbs or starch holding them together, so as a consequence, they are very light, but it does mean you need to be gentle with them – they will be wetter than normal meatballs and its best not to stir them in the pan – a gentle shake will do.
Despite their relative fragility, none have fallen apart on me yet! I tend to make the meatballs in the morning and leave them in the fridge, but it won’t really matter if you do them as you start the sauce. So I have adapted this Melt-In-Your-Mouth Meatballs and Sauce from a Pinterest recipe. However, I have changed the quantity of lamb required and removed the evil fresh coriander from the original recipe.
This meatball recipe is divine. I would even coke these Melt-In-Your-Mouth Meatballs and Sauce at home when I crave them on regular days. I just think they are very wholesome, and they can be served regularly without getting tired of them.
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Meatballs and Sauce
Ingredients
Meatball Ingredients
500 grams ground lamb (minced lamb)
3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger - finely chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon salt
1 medium egg
3 tablespoons white onion - very finely chopped
Sauce Ingredients
1 splash vegetable oil
1 large onion - finely chopped- 3 cloves garlic
1 small cinnamon stick
⅓ tin tomato - chopped
800 ml water
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chili powder (chilli powder in British English)
2 teaspoons ground coriander- 1 teaspoon garam masala
Instructions
- So first, make your meatballs. It’s simply a matter of combining all the ingredients in a bowl and giving them a thorough mix with your hands. Then, when the ingredients are thoroughly combined, take a spoon and shape spoonfuls of lamb mixture into walnut-sized pieces. I have said you can make these in advance if you like.
- Now, heat the oil in a wide non-stick saucepan. Put in your onion and cinnamon stick and cook over a low to medium heat until your onions are golden brown. In a blender, blend together with your tomato, ginger and garlic. When smooth, add to the pan and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until the oil starts to separate from the tomato mixture and pour in 200 ml of water.
- Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the water has evaporated and reduced down to a paste. Stir fry this for 2 or 3 minutes, and then stir in the spices and salt.
- Add the remainder of the water and bring to a simmering point. When simmered for 5 or 6 minutes, carefully drop in the meatballs and simmer for another 20 minutes. Resist the temptation to stir! When the meatballs are done, give the pan a quick shake and serve them over rice with plenty of gravy.
