Meatballs In Tomato Sauce (French Boules de Picolat au Catalane)

Boules de Picolat, otherwise known as Catalan Meatballs, are a rich meat and tomato dish, flecked with green olives and served over potatoes. This recipe comes from the little town of Collioure, nestled in the Catalan region of south-western France. Traditionally served with rice, though many say this dish should be served over boiled potatoes, to soak up the delicious, red sauce. It is one of many ongoing debates, the French like to be contrary ;-) This dish is easy to prepare, feeds a crowd, is well-received by pretty much everyone, and is very freezer-friendly. It’s perfect for cooking up now and enjoying a few times over the holiday season.

1 lb ground beef
½ lb ground pork
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 large egg, beaten
¾ tsp. sea salt
¼ black pepper, freshly ground
¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
¼ cup olive oil
2 strips bacon, cut into ½” pieces

Sauce:
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. all-purposed flour, unbleached
2 cups water
1 cup pitted green olives
2 oz cured ham, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/16 tsp. (pinch) ground cayenne

To Serve:
3 cups hot, cooked rice (optional)
1 Tbsp. chopped, fresh parsley

Gently mix the ground beef and pork together with the garlic, egg, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs. Form 1” meatballs with the mixture and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the chopped bacon in the oil until it turns crisp. Transfer the cooked bacon to a cloth-lined plate to drain. Add the meatballs, in batches, and sauté them until they turn brown. Transfer the browned meatballs to a Dutch oven.

Add the chopped onions to the skillet and sauté them for 5 minutes, until they turn soft and light brown. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour, unbleached over the onions, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour the water over the onions and the all-purpose flour, unbleached and stir until the mixture is smooth. Add the reserved bacon, olives, ham, tomato paste, cinnamon, and ground cayenne to the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and cook the mixture over low heat for 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the juices run clear. Serve the meatballs and pan sauce over rice, sprinkled with parsley.

Make 6 servings.