Spicy Meatballs in Tomato and Fennel Sauce

11 years ago
Posted in: Beef, Dinner, Gluten-free, Paleo, Sauce, Spicy
1

Spicy Meatballs in Tomato & Fennel Sauce

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

Beef meatballs with habanero peppers, cooked with chilies, and served with vegetable tomato sauce.

Serves: 4+

Ingredients

Sauce

2 cans (8 oz. each) crushed tomatoes
1½ cup fennel, finely chopped
1½ cup Cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ green pepper, finely chopped
5 tablespoons parsley, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh bay leaf
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil

Chilis

2-3 dried chili peppers, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup white vinegar

Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
¼ habanero pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried thyme
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Sauce

Heat crushed tomatoes in pot on medium-low heat.
Sauté fennel, mushrooms, onion, and pepper until onions are translucent.
Add all vegetables to crushed tomatoes, turn heat to low and cover.

Chilis

Crush whole chilies and salt in mortar and pestle.
Combine crushed peppers and vinegar in small saucepan.
Warm over low heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until vinegar becomes spicy.

Meatballs

Combine habanero pepper, oregano, thyme, and ½ of the parsely to beef.
Generously salt and pepper
Mix and form into about 30 small meatballs, or 15-20 large meatballs.
Add about half the meatballs and chili/vinegar mixture to a pan on medium heat and cook until browned.
Repeat for remaining meatballs.
Add all meatballs to sauce and let simmer for at least 15 minutes.
Serve garnished with remaining parsley.

These meatballs pack some serious spice with both habaneros and dried chilies. Served in a thick tomato sauce with plenty of veggies, this is a seriously filling dish. Enjoy with a side of good toasted bread!

First we make some meatballs.

Crush some whole dried chilies with a mortar and pestle. Adding some salt helps with the grinding. Simmer the peppers in vinegar until fragrant. The fumes from this process are quite potent, so watch your eyes! Then brown the meatballs in the spicy vinegar liquid.