Spicy roasted beef meatballs with added traditional Italian seasoning, cinnamon and nutmeg for a bit of intrigue and yogurt for moisture and rich taste.
300gramscherry tomatoes + 2 tablespoon olive oil to coat
1tablespoonolive oil
Spice blend
2teaspoonsfennel seeds
2 teaspoonsdried oregano
1teaspoon chilli flakes
2 ½teaspoonsgarlic powder
1teaspoonground coriander
½teaspooncinnamon
¼teaspoonnutmeg (optional)
½teaspoonfreshly ground pepper
Meatballs
1tablespoonolive oil
1 cuponion, finely diced
1 ½teaspoona sea salt, ½ teaspoon separated
1 ½poundaground beef
½cupbread crumbs
½cupplain thick yogurt
1largeegg + 1 yolk, lightly beaten
Instructions
Position the oven rack at the second upper shelf and then, preheat the oven to 400℉.
Spice blend
Crush the fennel seeds using a spice grinder, pestle and mortar or simply place the fennel seeds on a chopping board and gently rock and roll using your knife until finely crushed. Combine with the rest of the spices.
Make the meatballs
Place the yogurt, egg and 1 yolk in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat. Once heated, add the onion, a teaspoon of the spice blend, ½ teaspoon of salt and cook while stirring once in a while until the onion is translucent for about 3 minutes. Immediately, transfer the cooked onion to a bowl to cool completely.
In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef, bread crumbs, yogurt, eggs, the remaining salt, the remaining spice blend and the cooled onion. Mix with your hands until just combined, avoid over mixing.
Divide the meat mixture into 16 portions and gently shape it into a ball. Coat the skillet with two tablespoons of olive oil and arrange the meatballs in a single layer. Scatter the tomatoes all around letting them fall in between the meatballs.
Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Then turn on the broiler to high and roast until the meatballs are browned and the tomatoes got blistered for about 5 minutes. Serve hot with your favorite side dish.
Notes
▶︎Once you turned on your broiler, don't go anywhere as the heat of the oven varies from one oven to another. As soon as the meat is nicely browned and the tomatoes are beautifully blistered, take it out from the oven.