Ingredients
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for the meatballs
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900g/ 2lb. Ground Beef
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200g/7oz. Ground lambwith high % of fat
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1 Onions
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200g/ 7oz, about 2 thin slices breadsoaked in water and drained
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about 7-9 branches parsley
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1 large Egg
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1 tbsp. Salt
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1 tbsp. Pepper
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2 tsp. Ground Cumin
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For the Sauce
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3 tbsp. Olive oil
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2 medium sliced lengthwise thinly Onions
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4 cloves diced thinly Garlic
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4 cups chicken stock
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about 3 cups peeled Fava Beans
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½ cup torn by hand coriander
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½ cup torn by hand Mint
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1 tbsp. Kosher Salt
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1 tbsp. Pepper
Directions
You know spring is coming when you see loads of fava beans in the markets, there is something about this chubby beans that makes me want to grab a bunch of it and just cook in various ways. I’m a meatballs person, I love my little chunk of meat in any form or form or shape, I’ve made so many meatballs recipes over the years, so it was natural to make the fava beans version.
Fava beans taste amazing, it’s a shame the season of this delicious beans is so short however, they keep their texture and taste in the freezer so if you want to take an hour of your life to peel the fava beans blanch it shortly in boiling water and immediately dipping them in ice water, afterwards keep them in an airtight zipper bag in the freezer, you will have them all year long.
Fava beans meatballs
The flavors of this dish are Mediterranean towards the Moroccan cuisine, however the spices and the herbs can be located in Greece, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Israel and any other country that make a use of fresh herbs and a beef and lamb mix.
For better flavors, I keep the meat mix in the fridge overnight, only this way it absorbs the seasoning from the spices making the taste deep and rich.
Peeling the fava beans for this dish takes about 20 minutes if you’re not into quality peeling time go for the freeze version but try the fresh version once, for me, it’s a bit like meditating, doing a repetitive action for a while really puts your mind on neutral.
Cooking the meatballs
In many versions of meatballs, it’s popular to sear them in a pan in order to get a firm crust as well as a nice color, if you’re into this, by all means go for it, however in my opinion it’s a complete waste of time as well as makes your kitchen smoky and smelly. I just throw the meatballs straight into the sauce, as is, trust me they will be firm and tender, searing does not affect the tenderness and I don’t care too much about color, I’m into flavor so try my version, you’ll thank me.
Serving the Fava beans meatballs can be with rice, mashed potatoes or any other side dish you have in mind to absorb the liquids, you’ll might need some bread as well to wipe out the extra sauce.
Steps
1
Done
10 minutes
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making the meatballs mixIn a big mixing bowl, mix the lamb and beef, add the egg, salt, pepper, cumin and mix until fully absorbed in the meat. |
2
Done
1 hour
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making the sauceSet a big saucepan over medium-high heat, pour the olive oil, sauté the onions until transparent for 3 minutes, add the garlic and cook for another minute. |
3
Done
1 hour
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adding the meatballs and finishing the cooking |
4
Done
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Serving the meatballs |