SunshineDays: Red Pepper Smokey Meatballs

This, my lovely friends, is a killer of a smokey meatball. It took time for trying and testing, but it got better and better.

I have made it for friends several times now and everyone loved it - they ummed and aammed and rubbed their bellies in total pleasure. Even the fussy little ones.

What makes it even better, it is so easy to make! Less than 40 min preparation plus cooking time.

Now, I wouldn’t want to share this with the whole wide world, but I will share it with you.

It can be our little secret.To feed 6 hungry people, you will need;

For the Meatballs

2 slices smoked bacon, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 (Tbsp) egg whites

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

500g ground pork

2 teaspoons dried oregano or finely chopped fresh mint

1-2 teaspoons piri piri powder

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

For the Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped, about 1 cup

4 garlic cloves, minced

1-3 canned pepper , chopped

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup beef or chicken broth

Do this;

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well with your clean hands for a minute or two. You want the mixture to be well integrated, but you don't want to overwork it or the meatballs will be tough.

With wet hands or an ice cream scoop, form meat into about 16 plum-size balls and space them out in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, or, if you have one, a mini-muffin tin. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

While meatballs bake, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until they just start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the peppers, the can of tomatoes, oregano or mint, and beef/chicken broth. Mix well and add salt to taste. Boil the sauce uncovered as the meatballs cook.

When meatballs are ready, put them into the sauce and toss to coat. Cook for 2 minutes. If the sauce is too thin for your taste, continue to boil it down for a few more minutes.