Simple meatballs
In a sweet tomato & chilli sauce
1 hr 50 mins
Super easy
serves 4
About the recipe
These smashing beef and pork meatballs are easy to make and healthy, too.
Ingredients
1 small onion
1 fresh red chilli
olive oil
2 x 400g tins of quality plum tomatoes
2 slices of stale bread
250g lean minced beef or higher-welfare veal
250g lean minced higher-welfare pork
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 lemon
1 large free-range egg yolk
1 sprig of fresh sage
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 large handful of fresh peas
pecorino cheese
optional: a few sprigs of fresh marjoram
Method
- Peel and finely chop the onion, then trim and pound the chilli in a pestle and mortar (or finely chop, if you prefer).
- Heat a splash of oil in a pan over a low heat, add the onion and fry gently for 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft.
- Turn the heat up to medium, then add the chilli and tomatoes. Half-fill one of the tomato tins with water, give it a swirl and tip into the pan. Season lightly with sea salt and black pepper and cook gently for 30 minutes, then break up the tomatoes.
- Whiz the bread (remove the crusts, if you like) in a food processor until fine, then tip into a large bowl. Add the meat, nutmeg, lemon zest, egg yolk and a good pinch of seasoning. Pick, finely chop and add the sage and rosemary, then mix and scrunch together. Shape into little balls, around the size of a gobstopper.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the meatballs cook until browned over – be careful not to break them up.
- Once browned, add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, stir carefully to cover, and braise gently for 45 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Serve each portion scattered with a few raw peas, shavings of pecorino and picked marjoram (if using).
Tags
