Lamb Balls with Cherry

This recipe is from my very dear friend Joan Nathan.

I made this for her book launching party for  King Solomon’s Table. Everyone raved. 

It has become a staple for me for serving as a nibble at dinner parties. It is wonderful for holiday hors d'Oeuvres. I double both the amount of meat balls and sauce and then freeze it, so I am always ready to entertain.

Ingredients

Meatballs

½ cup pine nuts

1 large sweet onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds ground lamb 

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon Raz el hanout *

1 teaspoon ground fresh ginger 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate

3 teaspoons tomato paste or tomato puree

½ cups breadcrumbs - I use Gluten free

Sauce:

¼ cups olive oil

1 ½ onions, diced 

1 ½ tablespoons tamarind concentrate

2 cups pitted sour cherries or frozen dark red cherries

1 cups dried cherries

Juice of 2 lemons

1 ½ teaspoons ground Kitchen Porch raz el hanout

Salt and pepper

1 cup  beef stock

1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and toast the pine nuts by stirring often, in a small dry skillet over medium heat, until lightly brown, about 5 minutes.. Remove to a medium bowl.

To make the meatballs sauté the onions and garlic in a skillet and  lightly cook for about 12 minutes.

Add the onions to the pine nuts, then add the ground lamb, spices, salt and pepper. Break the eggs into the bowl and stir in the tamarins and tomato paste or blended tomatoes, mixing gently with your hands until just combined, then add just enough breadcrumbs for the meat to become solid, about ½ cup.

Shape into small balls  about 1 ½  inches in diameter. Put in  rimmed baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes, or until one but still juicy. You should get about 36 meatballs

While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until transparent, then add the tamarind, pitted sour or frozen cherries, dried cherries, lemon juice, spices, salt, pepper, beef stock and wine. Simmer together for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Here, I place the mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth. Joan keeps the sauce chunky and that is good too!

Mix the meatballs with the sauce and serve, sprinkle  with chopped parsley or cilantro, over rice for a main course or  with toothpicks as wonderful hors d'Oeuvres!

 *(combination of ginger, cloves, allspice cinnamon and cumin)  if you don’t have combine ½ ginger or cinnamon and ½ allspice