Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce for Future Use

It is very reasonable to immediately transform the rest of the minced meat into ready-made meatballs or meatballs, which at any time can be reheated in broth or sauce.

Ingredients

• 500 g lean minced meat (beef, turkey, beef and pork mix)
• 2 tbsp semolina
• 50 g hard cheese
• 5 sprigs of parsley
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ tsp salt or to taste
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper or to taste
• vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion
• 450 ml canned chopped tomatoes
• 150 g apricot jam
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
• 1 tbsp mustard
• a pinch of hot red pepper in flakes

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line the baking sheet with baking paper or foil. Grease the foil with vegetable oil.
2. Prepare the meatballs. Finely chop the garlic and parsley, grate the cheese on a fine grater. Combine the minced meat with semolina, garlic, herbs and cheese, season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly with a fork or hands.
3. Shape the meatballs into 2.5 cm diameter meatballs and place on a baking sheet so they do not touch each other. Using a brush, brush them with vegetable oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Cool the meatballs, transfer them in one layer to a board that will fit in the freezer. Freeze for 30-40 minutes, then transfer to a plastic bag (preferably with a clasp) and store in the freezer for up to 30 days.
5. Prepare the sauce. Finely chop the onion. In a roasting pan or deep saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onions over moderate heat until soft, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, apricot jam, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and hot peppers. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, arrange in containers and freeze. The sauce can be stored in the freezer for up to 30 days.
6. Heat the sauce in a roasting pan over medium heat before serving, stirring occasionally. Dip frozen meatballs into the boiled sauce and heat over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
7. Serve the meatballs with mashed potatoes or boiled rice.