Spiced Lamb Meatballs "Bar Oso".

A recipe from James Walt at the famed Araxi Restaurant in Whistler (when travel restrictions are lifting, so it's on my bucket list). I absolutely adore meatballs, so you see them so often on my menu. My reason for this love is that every culture in the world has meatballs, each flavoured and, yes, cooked differently. The ability of a chef to make the perfect round, soft and juicy meatball is genuinely an art form. This recipe is absolutely the best, in my opinion. It's well worth the touch of effort.

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Serves: 4-6 Cook time: 1 hour British Columbia, Canada

Sauce:

1/2 medium onion, sliced fine

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (28 fl oz) peeled tomatoes, get the Italian San Marzano tomatoes please.

1/2 cup fresh basil

1 tablespoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oil in a pot (large enough to also contain the meatballs later). Add onions and garlic and cook until soft, 5-7 minutes. Chop up the canned tomatoes and add them to the pot with all the ingredients. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until a wonderful sauce develops. While the sauce simmers, work on the meatballs. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside on a slow simmer.

Meatballs:

1/2 onion, diced finely

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons milk

2 lb ground beef, or ground lamb, or a mix of both

1 egg

1 tablespoon smoked paprika (mild)

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons parsley, minced

Olive oil to shallow fry

Add about one tablespoon of oil to a frying pan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Transfer the cooked onions to a deep bowl and set the pan aside; you will need it again.

Add the breadcrumbs and milk to a bowl and mix to form a thick paste. Add this paste and all the other ingredients to the sautéed onions and mix well. Make small meatballs about the size of a golf ball.

Note: Roll the meatballs gently and quickly. You do not want to over-roll them into hard balls; soft and gently, does it.

I usually make a teaspoon-sized flat patty and quickly fry it in a pan to taste for seasoning. Adjust as needed.

Heat the sauté pan again and add a touch of oil. Add the meatballs and fry on medium high so they are browned evenly on all sides. Please note that the center will not be cooked, and it is okay not to completely cook the meatballs evenly.

Add the fried meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer for 30 minutes. The meatballs must be completely submerged in the sauce to allow them to exchange flavours. Please stir the sauce occasionally and add water to maintain a thick sauce. The end result would be a sauce that clings heavily to the meatballs, not too runny. To make the sauce thicker, simmer with the pot lid open. At this point you can simmer the sauce forever, it helps the flavors merge.

Serve with pasta or just some bread, or make simple rolls by adding lettuce and Parmesan cheese. I eat these as is; the flavour is deep, the meat juicy, and they're delicious!

Note: These meatballs can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days, intensifying their flavours.