Whole30 (or not): Moroccan Meatballs with Sautéed Cabbage

I love meatballs. Not the gluey pre-made frozen kind, but real meatballs, made from scratch. And they’re so easy. You just mix the ingredients together with your hands, shape them into small orbs by rolling them around gently between your palms, and you have meatballs as good as those you might find in any upscale restaurant. I sometimes wonder why we’ve gotten away from making homemade meatballs, as I know hardly anyone who does these days. I think it must be the lure of the freezer section’s sheer convenience. But a few homemade meatballs, draped in a simple from-scratch sauce or crowning a plate of spaghetti, are on a completely different food plane.

When I saw this recipe for Moroccan meatballs in Well Fed (by the way, Well Fed 2 is on its way this fall), I knew I had to try them. We were in the middle of our Whole30, and the idea of a spicy, flavorful dish like this was just what I was looking for. The first time I tried them, I found them to be a tad bit dry, so I added an egg to the meat mixture for additional moisture.

I also used ras el hanout in these instead of the simpler combination of paprika and ground cumin Melissa Joulwan suggests. Ras el hanout is a North African spice blend that can contain as many as 30 different spices. You can find ras el hanout online, but it’s not difficult to make yourself, as the key spices are commonly available. I mix my own, using 11 different spices. I’ve included my version of ras el hanout below for you. It’s wonderfully aromatic and makes a great spice rub for chicken, lamb, or beef. Some people even put it in coffee.

I decided to meld two different parts of Africa by serving them with some simple cabbage, sautéed with onion, carrot, a little coconut oil and a sprinkling of salt – a dish we had several times while on safari in Kenya. You could also serve these with cauliflower rice or, if you’re not on the Whole30 or any kind of Paleo diet, some real rice.

I have plans to make these again because we enjoyed them so much, and I’ve included below some variations that make them non-Paleo, for those of you who just don’t keep coconut oil on hand.

Note: if you have a small cookie scoop, it works wonders to give you uniformly sized meatballs.

Moroccan Meatballs with Sautéed Cabbage
Adapted from Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan

For the ras el hanout:
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

For the meatballs:
2 pounds ground lamb, or a mixture of beef and lamb
1 egg
small handful fresh parsley, minced
1 tablespoon ras el hanout seasoning
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
2 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon ras el hanout seasoning
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups diced tomatoes with their juices
1-1/2 cups water
1 small can tomato paste
small handful fresh parsley, chopped

For the cabbage:
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. Using your hands, knead and mix until everything is completely incorporated, just as you would for meatloaf.

Shape the meat into 2-inch balls (a small cookie scoop works great for this, and makes the work goes twice as quickly!) and place on a cookie sheet or tray. Set aside until you’re ready to add them to the sauce.

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil. Sautée the onion until tender and translucent, but not brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well until the tomato paste has dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat until the sauce is just simmering, and add the meatballs. Cover and cook 40 minutes at a simmer, then remove the lid and cook an additional 20 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking for the final 20 minutes, make the cabbage.

In a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil for the cabbage. Add the onion and garlic, and sautée until it just begins to tenderize. Add the carrot, and continue to cook until just tender. Add the cabbage, and continue to sautée until tender.

Serves 6.

Here’s the printable recipe!

Enjoy!