Sometimes my recipes come about in the weirdest of ways. This one happened mostly because I had a case of pomegranates on hand, and I wanted to do something savory with them besides another salad. But I’ve also been trying to branch out with the spices I use. And so between the tin of Moroccan Harissa I still hadn’t opened, and the surplus of pomegranates, a new favorite was born. I’m still wondering why I’m even posting this because I’m a little unsure of how the meatballs look – they’re just so dark, almost black. But it’s really too good not to share, and if you don’t use a cast iron skillet like I did, they’ll be a little prettier. Although there is something about pomegranate juice that gets all purply black when cooked. I’m guessing you’re not going to mind in the least the slightly strange appearance once you take your first bite though. These are so flavor packed, and they have the addictive quality of sweet+spicy, (but not spicy hot).
I made these meatballs with ground beef which is readily available here, but ground lamb or even pork would also be good.
For the Moroccan Harissa, I used the mix that’s from a local spice making company, and I really love their spice mixes. This isn’t sponsored or anything, I just love the flavors and the fact they’re 100% natural with no fillers at all. Any Moroccan Harissa mix you like will work here, just be aware of any heat your spice mix might have, mine is mild with no real heat.
Once the meatballs are formed…
… they get panfried before the pomegranate sauce goes in. While you’re cooking the meatballs, it’s nice to have your side dishes mostly ready to go because the meatballs don’t take too long.
We like to serve these with steamed white jasmine rice to soak up the extra sauce, and the rice takes about the same amount of time to cook as the meatballs. And of course, we like to pile on plenty of pomegranate arils for that fresh pop of flavor! No reviews
