If Life Gives You Lemons, Make Spicy Pork Meatballs

Tonight did not begin as a meatball night. The original plan was to make a chorizo pizza, which I was looking forward to all day, but Sky and I realized after we got home that neither of us had remembered to put out the pizza dough to defrost this morning. Oops. But with a 1/2 pound of ground pork ready to go in the fridge, my mind went to meatballs. I used a lot of the same flavors as chorizo - chiefly, smoked paprika and cayenne - and then those smoky and spicy flavors infused the tomato sauce as the meatballs finished cooking.


Makes 4 servings, or 2 very large servings (about 12 meatballs, with pasta)
Total time to cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground pork (lean)
1/4 cup diced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp cayenne
1 tbsp black pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cups tomato sauce
Fresh parmesean cheese

Steps:
- Mix the onions, garlic, egg and spices with the meat.
- Create the meatballs, about one-inch in diameter (try not to handle them too much, they stay lighter the less the meat is smushed.)

- In a medium pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the meatballs.
- Cook until all the sides are brown, about five to seven minutes.

- Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and stir until the meatballs are coated.
- Cover the pan and cook for another five to seven minutes, or until the insides are completely cooked.

- Top with fresh grated parmesean cheese.
- Serve hot over pasta.