The best thing about this sweet & tangy meatball sauce is you most likely already have everything you need in your fridge. 

Vices.

Red wine & coffee are mine.  They are by no means my only ones but certainly in the top five.  In fact, I can probably guarantee you no matter time of day you are reading this there is a good chance I am sipping one of those two liquids.  (and if you are reading this at 3pm it could actually be both)

This thick and tangy mini meatball sauce is really what makes the dish and it only came together because I was enjoying the pleasure of cooking in a kitchen that was not my own.   Little and I were enjoying spring break at my parents little slice of heaven on an isolated lake and when you are over an hour away from the nearest grocery store, you learn to get creative.  My mom so generously offered to have anything on hand for me that I may need for any recipe development I would sneak in. This woman is an amazing cook so I just laughed and said, oh no - you will have anything I need, I'm certain.

I should not have been so certain.

We had a good laugh as I learned she had no soy sauce, no ginger, and no fresh herbs but just in case I needed them... two unopened jars of capers.

I had come across these meatballs on Pinterest and thought they looked delicious. I had started out wanting to create some Asian flavours but with my "cabin" pantry lacking some key inputs we had to go a different direction.  I have used coffee successfully with meat on several occasions including this espresso rubbed steak and these coffee brined drumsticks.  The base of the sauce is strongly brewed coffee and red wine.  The dry mustard and agave balance it out and as it cooks and thickens, the sauce comes together quite well.  The meatballs couldn't be simpler - I tend not to use any filler in my ground meats so it is just meat and seasoning.  I also made these meatballs extra small. It takes longer to make them and they tend to get eaten faster but the cute factor is hard to beat.

Enjoy!

"My Vices" Mini Meatballs

Author: sixtyone45.com

The best thing about this sweet & tangy meatball sauce is you most likely already have everything you need in your fridge.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 lbs extra lean ground beef
• 1 cup very strong coffee
• 1 cup red wine (bolder if possible)
• 2 medium cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp tamari
• 2 Tbsp dry mustard
• 2 Tbsp rice flour (more or less to thicken, AP flour works too)
• 1 and 1/2 Tbsp agave or brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• Coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Form ground meat into small balls - about the size of one and a half tablespoons. Place on a lined cookie sheet and back 15 minutes until done.
3. While meatballs are cooking, prepare sauce. Bring red wine & coffee to a rapid boil and reduce to simmer.
4. Add remaining ingredients, EXCEPT rice flour. Stir to combine.
5. In a small bowl, add the rice flour. Stir in two tablespoons of water to dissolve the flour (this ensures no lumps in the sauce) Pour it into the sauce on stove, stir well.
6. Continue to cook the sauce at least another 12 to 15 minutes on a low simmer, until desired thickness and flavours are achieved. The longer is simmers the more intense the flavour and thicker the sauce. If you find it too strong or thick, simply had more water and continue to cook.
7. When sauce has reached desired flavour, add meatballs and stir till well coated. Cook an additional 10 minutes on low heat.
8. Serve and enjoy!

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