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Caribbean Meatball Pot 3

Serves 4 to 6 Entree meat

Caribbean Meatball Pot 3

Caribbean Meatball Pot 3 is a dish that finds its roots in the everyday kitchens across the Caribbean, where the rhythms of life are mirrored in the meals shared at home. This version captures the essence of a family-style meal, where the ingredients are measured by intuition and experience rather than strict rules, and the cooking is done with a generous hand.

The dish offers a comforting embrace of tender meatballs, seasoned with the simplicity of salt and pepper, nestled in a tomato-rich sauce. The onion's gentle sweetness and the breadcrumbs' binding touch create a harmonious texture, inviting everyone to savor the flavors born from a Caribbean home kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 700 gground beef
  • 1onion
  • 1egg
  • 2 tbspbreadcrumbs
  • 2tomatoes
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 700 g of ground beef with a generous pinch of fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Crack in 1 egg and add 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Mix everything together with your hands until the ingredients are well incorporated and the mixture feels slightly sticky but holds its shape.
  2. Finely chop 1 onion and add it to the beef mixture, ensuring it is evenly distributed. This will add moisture and flavor to the meatballs. Shape the mixture into small, even-sized balls, about the size of a golf ball, ensuring they are compact to prevent them from falling apart during cooking.
  3. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add a generous amount of oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully place the meatballs in the skillet, ensuring they are not overcrowded. Allow them to brown deeply on one side, which should take about 3-4 minutes, before turning them gently with tongs to brown the other sides. Look for a rich, dark crust forming on the meatballs, which indicates they are ready to be turned.
  4. While the meatballs are browning, dice 2 tomatoes into small cubes. Once the meatballs are browned on all sides, add the diced tomatoes to the skillet. The tomatoes will release their juices, helping to deglaze the pan and create a flavorful sauce.
  5. Lower the heat to medium and cover the skillet with a lid or foil. Let the meatballs braise in the tomato juices for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure they cook evenly. The meatballs are done when they are firm to the touch and the tomatoes have broken down into a thick, aromatic sauce.
  6. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with more fine sea salt and black pepper if needed. The sauce should be savory with a slight sweetness from the tomatoes. Serve the meatballs hot, accompanied by rice, bread, or a fresh salad, to soak up the flavorful sauce.
Cover of Authentic Caribbean Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Caribbean Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Caribbean Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Caribbean volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Available soon on Amazon…

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