Meatballs and beans — a variation of chilli con carne

Sometimes a selection of ingredients fits a particular recipe. Ground beef, beans, red pepper (capsicum), chillies, garlic, onion – you’re making chilli con carne, obviously.

But actually, no. I was making meatballs and a spicy tomato-based sauce. So all of the elements of chilli con carne were there, but not in the same order or form.

To begin with, I defrosted that mince and let it drain in a colander for 10 minutes, for any of the frozen waters to seep away. Then it went in a bowl and I soaked two slices of ordinary old white bread in milk to cover, and squeezed that into the bowl with the meat.

It needed spice of course, and herbs too (oregano goes well with Mexican food, and of course coriander [cilantro] does too, but I didn’t have any of that). And this is Thrifty January, remember – we’re making do with what’s in the house, and trying not to shop.

Cumin is pretty much essential to an authentic Mexican flavour profile, and of course there have to be tomatoes in the mix.

So this ended up being a tomato-based sauce with onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, red pepper in julienne strips, chopped red chillies, and of course those meatballs.

They were flavoured with oregano, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. So similar flavourings were in the sauce as well as the meatballs.

Tony’s Mexican meatballs and beans

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

400g lean beef mince

2 slices of bread and milk to cover

1 egg

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp crushed dried garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Flour

Cooking oil

For the sauce:

Olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 red pepper, in julienne strips

1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried crushed garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

2 red chillies, chopped

1 x 400g can red kidney beans

Salt and black pepper

Method

In a bowl, using clean hands, work the sodden bread into the minced meat until well combined. Add all the spices, herbs and seasoning, mix to combine, then plop in the egg and work that in too using your hands.

Put some flour in a container. Separate the mixture into about 8 equal clumps, and form these into balls. Roll them in flour to coat and put them on a plate. Put them in the fridge for half an hour or more.

For the sauce, sauté the onion in a little olive oil until softened. Add the chopped tomatoes, strips of red pepper, chillies, and the herbs and spices and salt and pepper, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes on a low heat for the pepper to become tender.

Add the beans and cook them through for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat some canola or sunflower oil in a pan and brown the meatballs well on all sides.

Immerse the meatballs in the sauce and simmer gently for 7 to 10 minutes.

Serve garnished with oregano. DM

Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the year award, in 2021 and 2023

Order Tony’s book, foodSTUFF, here.

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This dish is photographed on a plate by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.