Porcupine Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

🧂 Ingredients

• 650 grams ground beef
• ½ cup short grain white rice
• 2 yellow onions

  2 small or 1 large, very finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic

  mashed
• 1 egg
• ½ cup water
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley

  finely diced
• 1.5 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 0.5 teaspoon white pepper
• 400 grams crushed tomatoes

  in can or tetra pack
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 500 ml water
• 1 yellow onion

  finely diced
• 6 tablespoons fresh parsley

  finely diced, divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh mint

  finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic

  mashed
• 1.5 teaspoons salt

  or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 taespoon dried dill
• 0.5 teaspoon sugar
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• pinch ground cinnamon

Instructions

• 1 Preheat oven to 175 C / 350 F
• 2 Wash and dice the onions, garlic and fresh herbs.
• 3 Sauté the onion and garlic together in the oil over medium heat until they
  reduce in volume and begin to brown.
• 4 Add all the other tomato sauce ingredients, reserving half of the fresh parsley
  for garnish. Stir everything well so it's homogenous.
• 5 Continue heating the sauce over medium-low heat so it comes to a simmer while
  you make the meatballs.*
• 6 Combine all the meatball ingredients together in a bowl until homogenous.
• 7 Shape the meatballs.**
• 8 Make sure the sauce is simmering and use a spoon to gently place the meatballs
  into the hot liquid. If the liquid isn't hot enough, they can lose their shape.
• 9 Wait a few minutes and then flip the meatballs.
• 10 Cover and put the pot in the oven for 1 hour. If the sauce is too thin, reduce
  on the stovetop over high heat until it thickens to your liking.
• 11 Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy.

Nutrition Info