Dawood Basha
Beef meatballs finished in garlic-tomato sauce.
Preparation: 20 min · Cooking: 31 min · Total: 51 min · 4 servings
Ingredients
- 600 g crushed plum tomatoes — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- large onion, grated — 1 — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- 6 cloves garlic, minced — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- 500 g raw ground beef — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- 1 tsp ground allspice — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- 2 tbsp ghee — Base: 1 tbsp sauce + 1 tbsp searing; fourfold 4 + 4 tbsp.
- 1 tsp salt — Half in meatballs and half in sauce: 0.5 + 0.5 tsp per base batch.
- 1 tsp ground black pepper — Half in meatballs and half in sauce: 0.5 + 0.5 tsp per base batch.
Instructions
Measure and keep beef cold
Measure ingredients for 4 portions, including 500 g raw ground beef and 600 g crushed tomatoes. Keep the beef refrigerated. Use a sauce pot and a separate searing pan so partly cooked meat never waits while sauce is prepared.
Beef remains cold and two cooking vessels are ready.
Prepare and divide allowances
Prepare the grated onion and minced garlic. Divide ghee into 1 tbsp for sauce and 1 tbsp for searing. Divide each salt and pepper allowance into 0.5 tsp meatballs + 0.5 tsp sauce; fourfold is 2 + 2 tsp each.
Fat and seasonings are fully assigned.
Shape and refrigerate the meatballs
Mix the cold beef with all the grated onion, allspice, cinnamon and the meatball shares of salt and pepper. Shape equal balls and refrigerate until the sauce is ready. Do not wash or taste raw filling.
Balls are equal in size and stay chilled.
Prepare the sauce before searing
Heat the sauce share of 1 tbsp ghee over medium heat. Sauté all 6 garlic cloves for about 1 minute without burning, then add tomatoes and the sauce shares of salt and pepper. Simmer about 10 minutes until slightly thickened; keep the sauce hot.
Sauce is hot and slightly thickened before meatballs are seared.
Tomato sauce check: 600 seconds
Sear and transfer immediately
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp ghee over medium heat in the separate pan. Sear chilled meatballs, checking from about 5 minutes until browned outside. Transfer immediately into the already-hot sauce; do not hold partly cooked meat for later completion.
Seared meatballs go straight into hot sauce.
Meatball searing check: 300 seconds
Finish in simmering sauce
Cover with an ordinary lid and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, continuing until several thick meatball centres reach at least 71°C. Brown colour or the timer alone is not proof of readiness.
Several thick meatball centres reach 71°C.
Meatball simmer check: 900 seconds
Verify and portion hot
Use a clean food thermometer to confirm at least 71°C in several meatball centres. Divide into 4 hot portions, or 16 for the fourfold batch, with the cooked tomato sauce.
Temperature is verified and portions are hot.
Chill leftovers promptly
Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 1 hour at 4°C or colder. Use within 24 hours; reheat a portion at most once to 74°C throughout.
Leftovers are refrigerated promptly in shallow containers.
Tips
- Scale ingredient amounts with the selected yield; cooking times are estimated checks, not multiplied guarantees.
Common mistakes
- Relying only on the timer or surface colour rather than the stated readiness and handling checks.
Substitutions
- Use the specified master ingredients. Prepared dough and spice blends are explicit compound ingredients; no unseen homemade subrecipes are assumed.
Storage
Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 1 hour at 4°C or colder. Use within 24 hours; reheat a portion at most once to 74°C throughout.
Reheating
Reheat only the portion needed, at most once, to 74°C throughout. Reheating does not repair previous unsafe holding.
About this recipe
This Egyptian owner-approved master uses a sauce-first sequence and measured fat split for beef meatballs.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.