Israeli Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Meatball mix

1. 1
   Mix the ground meat with the onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper until evenly combined.
2. 2
   Knead the mixture about 2 minutes, until smooth and sticky.
3. 3
   With wet hands, shape patties the size of golf ball.

   💡Wet hands don't stick to the mixture, and the patties come out smooth and even.
4. 4
   Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveLarge pot
5. 5
   Add the onion and fry 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
6. 6
   Add the garlic and fry 1 more minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns fast and turns bitter. Add it only once the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells.
7. 7
   Add the tomato paste, water and sugar with the salt and bring to a boil.

   Stove
8. 8
   Combine the meatballs and the sauce in the pot. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked and the sauce thickens.

   ⚙ SimmeringStovePotLid

   💡Drop the meatballs into boiling sauce and don't stir at first: that way they firm up and keep their shape.

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
9. 9
   Serve with white rice.