Ingredients:
500 g minced pork or beef, zest of one orange, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder, 2 tablespoons parsley (finely chopped)
For the sauce:
2 red onions, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds, 8 sprigs of thyme, 600 g Roma tomatoes, 1 red pepper, 100 ml of olive oil, sea salt to taste
To serve:
200 g feta, Parmesan cheese
Method:
First prepare the sauce. To do this, roughly dice the onions, tomatoes, peppers and garlic and place on a large baking tray. Wash the thyme sprigs and shake them dry. Save half of the sprigs for the meatballs and spread the other half on the baking tray. Sprinkle with cumin seeds and drizzle with 60 ml olive oil. Season with sea salt. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees and cook for 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Then transfer to a bowl and puree the mixture. Put the sauce aside and prepare the meatballs. Mix the ingredients and add the remaining thyme. Shape the mixture into small meatballs about five centimetres in diameter. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan or casserole and fry the meatballs in batches until they are well browned all over. Then add the sauce and reduce the heat. Let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for about 15 to 20 minutes. If the sauce becomes too solid, you can add a little more water if necessary. Crumble the feta into pieces and cook for five minutes. Finally, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread or salad.
Our Wine recommendation:
A nice glass of red wine goes perfectly with the hearty meatballs, a particularly good companion is the Warwick Professor Black Pitch Black 2020. The rich and powerful red wine blend combines fruity notes with aromas of violets and herbs that harmonise wonderfully with the character of the dish. Or how about the Warwick The Blue Lady 2019? The fruity, spicy Cabernet Sauvignon with its fine tannins is also a successful culinary complement to the meatballs. For those who love Pinotage, the uncomplicated Warwick The First Lady Pinotage 2021 with its great fruit notes is a good choice.
