I served these at the March Covey Club release party at the Quail & Olive. You can make the sauce ahead of time and heat it up just before serving.
Once a quarter I collaborate with The Quail & Olive and create recipes with the selected olive oil and vinegar. This time around, Anni had selected Piqual olive oil and Satsuma balsamic vinegar.
Ingredients
Meatballs
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 Tablespoons diced onions
½ cup bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons milk or cream
1 egg
1 Tablespoon Satsuma balsamic vinegar (recipe below)
1 teaspoon za'atar*
plus olive oil for drizzling
*Za’atar is a savory spice blend from the Middle East and includes dried herbs such as oregano, marjoram or thyme, and earthy spices such as cumin and coriander; it also has sesame seeds, salt and the most important ingredient: sumac which gives za'atar its signature tanginess
Sauce
1 cup Satsuma Mandarin Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Picual olive oil
2 Tablespoons minced onions or shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon molasses or honey
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
Sauce
Pour balsamic vinegar into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until vinegar is reduced to 1/3 cup, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
In another pan, heat olive oil until shimmering. Stir in shallots and cook until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for another minute.
Pour in reduced balsamic vinegar, then whisk in tomato sauce, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly. Season to taste with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or clean hands to blend ingredients until well-combined. Roll walnut-sized meatballs and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a little bit more olive oil.
Bake meatballs at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes or until done. They should be firm to the touch when they are done. If you aren’t sure, you can slice open one of the meatballs. They should not be pink in the center at all.
To serve, spoon the cooked meatballs into the sauce. This can be served warm or at room remperature.