Cumin Meatball Logs Simmered in Tomato and Red Wine Sauce

What you need

• 500 g (1 lb) ground beef, not too lean
• 1 small onion, finely grated
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed, for the meat
• 50 g (1/2 cup) fine dry breadcrumbs
• 1 small egg
• 2 tbsp dry white wine
• 2 tsp ground cumin, for the meat
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp plain flour, for dredging
• 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) olive oil, for browning, plus 2 tbsp for the sauce
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped, for the sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, for the sauce
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) dry red wine
• 400 g (14 oz) canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin, for the sauce
• 1 tsp butter
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the beef in a large bowl with the grated onion, crushed garlic, cumin, cinnamon, 1 tsp salt and plenty of pepper.

2. 2

   Add the egg and white wine. Knead for 2-3 min, until the mixture feels sticky and holds together.

3. 3

   Add the breadcrumbs a spoonful at a time, only until a piece rolled in your palm keeps its shape. Cover and chill for 30-60 min.

4. 4

   For the sauce, warm the 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the red onion until soft, 5 min, then add the minced garlic for 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Pour in the red wine and boil for 1 min. Add the tomatoes, sugar, cumin, salt and pepper.

6. 6

   Simmer over low heat until slightly thickened, about 20 min. Stir in the butter and keep warm.

7. 7

   Wet your hands and shape the chilled meat into logs about 6 cm (2 1/2 in) long and 2.5 cm (1 in) thick, about 14 in all.

8. 8

   Season the flour with a pinch of salt on a plate and roll the logs in it, shaking off the excess.

9. 9

   Heat the olive oil for browning in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat to a depth of about 5 mm (1/4 in). Brown the logs in batches, turning them as each side sets, 5-6 min per batch.

10. 10

    Lay the browned logs in one layer in a wide pan and spoon the sauce over them.

11. 11

    Cover and simmer over low heat, turning once, until the sauce is thick and the meatballs are cooked through to 71 °C (160 °F) with no pink, 30-35 min.

12. 12

    Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and cumin. Serve hot with rice or crusty bread.

Imported from dianekochilas.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.