Meatballs with Tomato sauce
Don't ask me why, but making meatballs seems to be a guy thing. Memories of making mud pies perhaps? Minced lamb, beef or pork (sometimes a mixture) is seasoned with herbs and spices and other goodies like chopped onion, milk-soaked breadcrumbs (for softer texture) and egg (to bind the mix), then patted into balls “just so” and fried to the correct degree of doneness, crisply browned and still pink within. Not unlike a perfect steak, only one that’s fi nely chopped.
The Dutch introduced meatballs to our menu when they arrived at the Cape in the 17th century, believing that this was the perfect place to plant a garden. History doesn’t record what young Jan van Riebeeck (a ship’s doctor) thought about the posting, but he soon got the hang of things and in no time seafarers plying the lucrative “spice route” between Europe and the East were popping in for some quality R&R, fresh edibles and – eventually – fine wines too.
But while Dutch recipes are plainly flavoured and boringly served with boiled potatoes and over-cooked vegetables, Cape-Dutch meatballs became a fusion of mid-European finesse and Eastern zing. For this we have Malay slaves and political exiles to thank; they came from places as diverse as Java, core of the colonial Dutch East Indies, and Indonesia, then known as Batavia, and were fine artisans, fishermen, seamstresses, tailors, basket-makers – and excellent cooks.
Meatballs are fabulous partnered with a sauce made from onions and tomatoes at the peak of sweet, vineripened perfection. However, you could also make larger patties and fry or braai them to pack into buns with tomato, lettuce, onion and cheese. And some oldtimers make oumens onder die kombers (old people under the blanket) by wrapping meatballs in blanched cabbage leaves and simmering them in a pan of beef stock for about 30 minutes.
Lannice Snyman is a publisher and author of 15 cookbooks,
and one of SA’s most well-respected food journalists. She’s a
judge for the annual Galliova Awards for food writers and
the Diners Club Wine List of the Year Awards.
Serves 6
MEATBALLS
800g minced beef or lamb,
or a mixture of the two
1 onion, finely chopped
4 T chopped parsley
1 t ground coriander
½ t ground cloves
1 t salt, milled black pepper
2 slices bread, crumbled
½ cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
TOMATO SAUCE
Olive oil, for frying
2 onions, fi nely chopped
4 – 6 large, ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled
and chopped
4 T chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano)
1 T brown sugar
½ t paprika
For the meatballs, mix the mince, onion, parsley, coriander, cloves, salt and pepper in a bowl. Place the bread in another bowl and pour over the milk. Mix into the mince with the egg. Form into 16 balls.
To make the tomato sauce, heat a generous amount of oil in a medium saucepan and braise the onion over medium heat for about 10 minutes until very soft and well browned. Don’t rush; the onion should be caramelised to bring out its natural sweetness and offset the acidity in the tomatoes. Add the remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper, and cook briskly, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens. Check the flavour and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Heat oil in a large frying pan for shallow-frying and fry
the meatballs for about 10 minutes over medium-high
until cooked almost through, turning frequently. Arrange
on a warm platter and spoon the tomato sauce over.
All you need to round out the feast is a loaf of seriously
crusty bread – and a couple of good friends.
