Easy Meatballs Topped With Guacamole

This is not my original recipe -- but I did tweak it. It is a recipe by talented local food editor, Barbara Joubert, of Sarie (a popular Afrikaans woman's magazine). Her recipes are usually very practical, economical and easy. This is a fat meatball, which she called "a burger without the bun". I added some extra seasoning and used an organic (shop-bought) guacamole because no ripe avo's were available. Serve as a main, or in a bun if you like. We use metric weights and measures, but I give the American equivalents in brackets.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 6-8 meatballs

Ingredients

• 500  g  pork sausages (2 lbs 2 oz approx., real British-style pork bangers)
• 500  g ground beef (2 lbs 2 oz approx, don't use very lean ground, just ordinary ground beef)
• 1  medium onion, finely chopped (red is nicest but I used a sweet onion)
• 1  tablespoon thyme leaves, fresh (can use dried as well)
• 1  tablespoon lemon zest (usually 1 lemon, I used a tablespoon)
• 3  garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1  teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce) (optional)
• 1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1  teaspoon seasoning salt (any you like)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
• 1  egg, large
• 2  tablespoons olive oil (for frying, use more if necessary)
• 250  g  guacamole (8 oz, make your own or buy ready-made)

Directions

1. Remove the pork sausage meat from the skins, and mix with the ground beef with a fork or your hands, but do not compress too much.
2. Set oven at 180 deg C or 350 deg F, while you prepare the onion, zest, etc.
3. Add the finely-chopped onion, thyme, lemon zest, chopped garlic, hot sauce. Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt and pepper. (Mix in the ingredients as you add them).
4. Break in the egg. Mix in well, until ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Use a utensil which can go on both your hob and also into the oven. (The new kind of non-stick black stoneware is absolutely amazing, otherwise use an oven-safe skillet).
6. Heat the pan well and add the olive oil. Form 6 - 8 fat, generous meatballs, and fry on both sides until nicely browned but not done.
7. Put the pan or dish with the meatballs in the pre-heated oven, and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes longer.
8. Serve with large blobs of guacamole, and salad ingredients. Or use as a main meat dish with veggies and salad.