Great Meatballs of Fire

My sister's recipe that she serves with antipasto or tapas style meals. She makes a half recipe usually. Original recipe called for beef, she uses lamb, use whatever you like.

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Balls

• 1  kg ground lamb
• 2  red onions, diced
• 1  red  chili
• 4  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1⁄4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2  tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 5  slices  bread, crumbed
• 3  beaten eggs
• 3  tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 150  g  grated parmesan cheese
•  salt and pepper

• Sauce

• 400  g Italian tomatoes
• 1  red  chili, roughly chopped
• 1  red onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 2  bay leaves
• 50  g brown sugar
• 2  cinnamon sticks
• 50  ml white vinegar
• 50  ml extra virgin olive oil
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Balls:.
2. Mix ingredients together and form into walnut-sized balls.
3. Process together the tomatoes, chilli, onion and garlic. To this mixture, add the bay leaves, cinnamon, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper.
4. Seal the meatballs in hot oil in a frying pan a few at a time, then top with sauce, cover with foil and bake in a 180c for about 1 hour.