Spicy meatballs with tomato sauce

Slightly spicy meatballs cooked in a rich tomato sauce, bubbling together in the Dutch oven served with fresh spaghetti or crusty French bread. A warming campsite favourite washed down with a smooth red wine.

Serves 6

Meatballs:

500g/1lb 2oz minced beef

250g/ 0.5 lb minced lamb

2 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped

1 large onion, very finely chopped

1.5 tsp ground ginger

3.5 tsp cumin seeds, toasted

1.5 tsp coriander seeds

1.5 tbsp Worcester sauce

3.5 tbsp soy sauce

Small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped

Oil for frying

For tomato sauce:

5 tbsp olive oil

1.5 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 x 395g/14oz tin chopped tomatoes

1.5 tsp dried mixed herbs

3 tsp caster sugar

Salt and pepper

Method:

Before you go

Place the beef and lamb, garlic, onion, and ginger in to a bowl and mix well.
Toast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a small saucepan until they begin to pop and give off a nutty aroma. Watch them carefully - they are easily scorched. Crush the toasted seeds briefly with pestle and mortar and add them to the meat mix.
Stir in the Worcester sauce, the soy sauce and fresh coriander. Form the mixture in to balls just slightly larger than a walnut. Transfer them to an airtight Tupperware container and store in the fridge until you leave. Make sure you keep these in a cool box with freezer blocks to keep them chilled.

On site:

Once your fire is ready to cook on, place the oil in the Dutch oven and fry the meatballs in batches until they are browned off.
Remove the meatballs from the Dutch oven and place on a plate and cover whilst you make the sauce.
Heat the oil in the Dutch oven and sauté the onions and garlic until soft but not brown.
Add the chopped tomatoes, dried herbs, and sugar. Give a good stir and season with salt and pepper.
Let the mixture bubble for 15 minutes, or until thickens and has a lovely sticky, red rich colour.
Add the meatballs to the Dutch oven and bubble gently for half an hour.
When the meatballs and sauce are nearly ready start your pasta on a stove.

This is also delicious with shavings of fresh Parmesan scattered over the top.