Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 large bay leaves whole
• 30 ounce tomato sauce canned
• 1 tablespoon parsley dried
• 1 large garlic clove finely chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon divided
• 0.8 teaspoon ground cumin divided
• 2 pounds lamb 
• 1 tablespoon mint dried
• 4 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin extra-virgin
• 0.8 teaspoon pepper divided freshly ground
• 1.5 teaspoons salt 
• 1  onion yellow finely chopped
• 5.3 ounce frangelico 
• 5.3 ounce frangelico 

Equipment

• bowl
• paper towels
• oven
• pot
• casserole dish
• aluminum foil
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Place tabbouleh in a large heatproof bowl; add 1 cup boiling water, cover, and let stand 30 minutes.
2. Add lamb, next 5 ingredients, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
3. Mix well with hands, and shape into golf ball-size meatballs. Lightly spritz meatballs with cooking spray.
4. Coat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven with cooking spray, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, and heat 2 minutes over high heat. Brown meatballs in 3 batches over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes per batch, shaking pot so meatballs brown evenly.
5. Add remaining olive oil as needed.
6. Drain browned meatballs on paper towels.
7. Deglaze pot with 1 cup water, cooking 2 minutes over medium heat and stirring to loosen browned particles.
8. Add tomato sauce, bay leaves, and remaining pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, and return meatballs to pot; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves, and serve meatballs and sauce warm, or freeze.
9. Note: If freezing, cool meatballs in sauce 30 minutes, transfer to a shallow 4-quart freezer-to-oven casserole dish, and cover with aluminum foil; label and date the container. To reheat thawed meatballs, bake, still wrapped in foil, at 350 for 45 minutes or until warm.