One of the worst meals I ever ate was when I was a kid and my Mom was sick so my dad decided to cook meatballs for dinner. He took a handful of chopped beef for each one, shaped them into small mountains, spread tomato paste on top, then broiled them to death. They were awful. He was a wonderful father but a dreadful cook. 

It didn’t turn me off meatballs, though, because how could it? Meatballs are special. People knew that as long ago as ancient times! The Greek writer Athenaeus talked about meatballs way back in the 3^rd century and Apicius, an ancient Roman cookbook, even includes some meatball recipes!

What’s so special about meatballs? To quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning: “let me count the ways.”

First, they’re familiar: every culture has a version, including every Jewish culture. My Jewish-Argentinian sister-in-law makes spicy “albondigas” and serves them in tomato sauce; my grandma’s Romanian “chiftele” were pretty basic (the bell pepper sauce was the star). Most of my Jewish friends make some version of the sweet and sour meatballs from the vintage “Elegant But Easy Cookbook” (Marian Burros and Lois Levine).

Second, meatballs are comforting: every Jewish mother I ever knew made them. My mother’s were straightforward beef/egg/matzah meal meatballs, and she added them to chicken fricassee. Meatballs are also versatile, amazingly easy to make (and to freeze) — plus, you can make them big for dinner or small for hors d’oeuvre.

I like to research the history of food and to make specialty dishes from Jewish cultures that are not my own. It keeps dinners from being the same old same old; even with classic staples, such as meatballs, there’s always something to discover when you cook a familiar, comforting food but in a new way.

The first time — years ago! — I made Moroccan boulettes (well-seasoned meatballs served in a chunky, spiced tomato-based sauce) my family loved them so much that I’ve been making this particular recipe ever since.

Also known as kefta, they are traditionally eaten for Shabbat dinner in the Jewish community. Made either with beef or lamb, they are frequently seasoned with ras el hanout, a spice blend ubiquitous to Morocco and Tunisia. Ras el hanout literally means “top of the shop,” meaning the best spices a shop has to offer. Every shop has its own blend, usually including cumin, cinnamon, clove, cayenne, turmeric and nutmeg. Although various brands are available, I make my own version, which I like to think of as “top of the shop.” My husband likes these meatballs made with my ras el hanout, but most of the family prefers the version made with individual spices.

I prefer to fry the meatballs first but I’ve also poached them right in the sauce and they are absolutely delicious (add 6-8 minutes cooking time). This recipe is perfect for Passover; you can make it a few days ahead of time or freeze the meatballs — quite a boon during this busy time when we have so much to cook! During the year I still make the meatballs with matzah meal because I prefer the texture to breadcrumbs.

Do try them! You can never have too many recipes for meatballs, right?

Notes: 

• If you want to make this recipe in advance, you can freeze the meatballs, either uncooked or fried. Or freeze the fully cooked recipe (place the meatballs and sauce in a casserole so you can thaw and reheat easily). 
• You can substitute 1½ tsp ras el hanout for the dry spices in both the meatballs and the sauce.
• Although there are kosher-for-Passover certified brands of ground cumin available, some people do not eat this spice during Passover. You can leave it out of the recipe, which will taste quite different, milder, but still very tasty.

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