Rustic Meatballs with Sweet Paprika sauce epitomise comfort food as it should be. Succulent savoury meatballs, steeped in this creamy sweet paprika and tomato-based sauce, are mouth-wateringly good. Served on a bed of fluffy parmesan mash, together with our green bean and fetta recipe and our roasted vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, these Rustic Meatballs with Sweet Paprika make for a heart-warming meal that will have your family coming back for seconds and even thirds. And, if you’re looking for a new meat and 3 vegetable dinner, then this recipe is just for you.
Ingredients
- Mince
- Red Onions
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Red Chilli
- Sweet Paprika
- Tomato Paste
- Beef Stock
- Cream
- Salt and Cracked Pepper
- Tomatoes for roasting
Cheat Sheet hints and tips for a succulent meatball recipe
- Use a skillet pan with a lid that can go from the stove to the oven.
- You can chop the onion instead of grating it, but I much prefer grated onion as it melts into the meat without adding additional texture to the bite, while at the same time adding a wonderful savoury flavour.
- Keep your meatballs small. Small meatballs are easier to cook evenly and keep succulent.
- I don’t use bread or egg as binding agents in this recipe at all; so be sure to roll them in the palm of your hand until even and smooth all round.
- Handle the meatballs with care as they brown, to stop them from splitting.
- To finish your sauce, you can add 50g of butter for extra richness and gloss, but the cream should add sufficient richness.
Rustic Meatballs with Sweet Paprika
This Rustic Meatballs with Sweet Paprika recipe is a perfect heartwarming recipe for the whole family. It's good comfort food at its best. The succulent meatballs are best when served on a bed of parmesan mash and lashed with coatings of the tomato-based sweet paprika sauce. Simply delicious.
Ingredients
- 1kg Mince
- 1 Medium Red Onion grated
- 1 Medium Onion finely diced
- 1 Bunch Parsley
- 3 Cloves Garlic chopped finely
- 3-4 Red Chillis
- 4 tablespoons Sweet Paprika
- 200g Tomato Paste
- 2 cups Beef Stock
- 50-100ml Cream
- 100g Butter
- Salt and Cracked Pepper
- Tomatoes for roasting
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C Celcius
Meatball Preparation (Makes about 30 balls)
Add the one Grated onion, mince meat and half the chopped parsley to a bowl
Add 1 teaspoon each of salt and cracked pepper
Mix all the ingredients together well
Roll into small balls taking care that they are well rounded and smooth
Meatball Cooking Instructions
Heat some olive oil and 50g of butter until starting to sizzle
Add the meatballs, turning them gently until they are evenly cooked
When they are brown all over, remove and set aside
Sauce Preparation (Use the same pan you cooked the meatballs in)
Deglaze the pan with a little bit of beef stock to loosen and scrape off all the goodness from cooking the meatballs. (If the bottom of your pan has burnt in the process, remove the burnt bits)
Add some more olive oil, bring up the heat
Add the diced onions and brown until softened and translucent
Add the Paprika and stir through until the fragrance is released
Add the finely chopped garlic
Add the tomato paste
Add two cups of beef stock and bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce to a simmer until all the flavours and spices have mingled
Season with salt and pepper
Add a dash of cream and stir through until well distributed
Add 50g of butter if you want to bring up the sheen of the sauce
Add the meatballs, toss them in the sauce so they are well coated and then bring it to a boil
Once boiling remove from heat, toss and coat the balls again, cover with a lid and place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes
To Serve
Remove from the heat
Garnish with the remaining parsley and chilli
Serve on mashed potato, preferably infused with parmesan cheese ( Recipe to come)
Serve With
Green Beans and Fetta
Roasted Vine-Ripened Tomatoes
