This is one of my favorite all-time dishes, and both my sister and I remember it from childhood as the filling for blanched cabbage leaves. I dispensed with the cabbage wrappers many years ago, and just revel in the sweet and sour flavors of the sauce.
11/4 pounds ground chuck
1 cup cooked white rice
1 small onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and diced
3/4 cup raisins
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
3/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
Vegetable oil spray
1. Preheat the oven broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and spray the foil with vegetable oil spray.
2. Combine beef, rice, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl, and mix well. Make mixture into 2-inch meatballs, and arrange meatballs on the prepared pan. Spray tops of meatballs with vegetable oil spray.
3. Broil meatballs 6 inches from the broiler element, turning them with tongs to brown all sides. Remove the pan from the oven, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F, and grease a 9 × 13-inch pan.
4. Place apples and raisins on the bottom of the prepared pan, and place meatballs on top. Combine tomato sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl, and whisk well. Pour mixture over meatballs.
5. Cover the pan with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until apples are soft. Serve immediately.
Note: The meatball mixture can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Also, the dish can be cooked up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat in a 350°F oven, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until hot.