Yield: 12 meatballs
If you plan on throwing a barbeque party and impress your guests with some irresistible cocoa meatballs? Then you should follow this recipe, courtesy of Alison Nelson and Matt Lewis, founders of Chocolate Bar NYC, and authors of "Chocolate Bar." Here’s what they say "These meatballs have a spicy flavor with strong hints of cinnamon as well as ginger. The unsweetened cocoa powder and fresh mint give complementary undertones that round out the flavor, while the ancho chile provides smokiness rather than heat in the sauce."
Meatballs:
½ cup coarse dried bread crumbs
¼ cup milk
1 pound ground beef
½ cup finely minced fresh garlic
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons oil
Sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ancho chile
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
½ cup red wine
1 cup water or chicken stock
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Wondra flour
Prepare the meatballs:
Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until softened, about 5 minutes. Mix together with the remaining meatball ingredients except the oil and refrigerate for 1 hour, until chilled. Shape into twelve 2-inch balls.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet over moderately high heat. Add the meatballs, leaving a 1-inch space in between. Gently stir until the meatballs are browned on all sides. Remove and transfer to drain on paper towels.
Prepare the sauce:
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over moderate heat. Stirring constantly, add the chile, tomato paste, and bay leaf and cook until fragrant. Add the red wine and simmer for about 2 minutes. Add the water or chicken stock and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour the sauce through a sieve and discard the solids. Return to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat until thickened. Add the meatballs and gently stir to coat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve in small dishes with sauce and garnish with chopped mint if desired.
Notes: You can vary the size of the meatballs, making them larger or smaller. The recipe quantities can easily be doubled for larger parties. Note that the amount of sauce is minimal, as the meatballs are the star of the dish, so if you want more sauce, simply double the sauce recipe. The recipe also freezes well.
