Passover Meatballs

Easter weekend. Sarah and Tom with Ben and Lucy. The egg hunt was in the backyard among the crocuses and the early daffodils that Helen planted along the south fence six years ago. Lucy went directly for the brightest eggs — yellow and pink — ignoring the more cleverly hidden ones in the grass. Ben found eleven of the twelve and spent twenty minutes looking for the twelfth before Sarah told him where it was. He had walked past it four times. This is a thing that happens when you look very hard for something.

I made lamb for Easter dinner — a bone-in leg, rubbed with garlic and rosemary and olive oil the night before and left in the refrigerator overnight. Roasted at high heat first for twenty minutes to set the crust, then lower for two hours to the right temperature. The lamb came from a farm in Shelburne that I have bought from for fifteen years. It is worth the price. It is worth more than the price. Local lamb roasted with rosemary in an April kitchen smells like the year being exactly what it should be.

Lucy ate her lamb without complaint, which surprised Sarah and confirmed my judgment of her palate. Ben asked why the meat was pink and I explained that pink lamb is properly cooked lamb, and he accepted this and ate his without complaint, which I am taking as a sign of good taste developing on schedule. He is five. He is already reading. Sarah says he prefers stories about animals. I will bring him something from the Narnia shelf when they visit next.

After dinner the children played in the yard until almost seven and Helen and Sarah sat on the porch and talked in the way that mothers and daughters talk — easily, with long pauses that are not uncomfortable — and I sat in my chair by the window and read Frost and watched the April light and felt something that I will not call contentment because Bergstroms do not call it that, but which was exactly what contentment is.

The leg of lamb is the centerpiece, but it is not always what everyone can manage — and in the years when I have wanted that same holiday-table feeling with less overhead, these Passover Meatballs have served the same purpose: herbs, good meat, and something that comes out of the oven smelling like the season is cooperating. Lucy ate her lamb without complaint, and I believe she would eat these the same way. Ben would want to know why they are round.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground lamb (or a mix of lamb and beef)
1/3 cup matzo meal
1 large egg, beaten
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, for browning
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Mix the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, matzo meal, beaten egg, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined — do not overwork the meat or the meatballs will be dense.
Form and chill. Roll the mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on a plate or sheet pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes to help them hold their shape during browning.
Brown the meatballs. Heat olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Do not crowd the pan.
Build the sauce. In the same pan, add the crushed tomatoes, broth, oregano, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Simmer together. Return the meatballs to the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat for 25–30 minutes, turning the meatballs once halfway through, until cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Rest and serve. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired. Serve with roasted vegetables, a green salad, or alongside a spring table spread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Passover Meatballs — The Holiday Table That Smells Like Spring Got It Right