Recipe of the week - Meatballs

November 11, 2014 by Chef Justin from Justin's Food Company

Try out these awesome meatballs!

Great served with spaghetti or on their own they make a great tapas dish - Serves 2.

For the Meatballs:

• 250g minced beef
• 250g minced pork
• 1/2 spanish onion (chopped small diced)
• 1 garlic clove (chopped finely)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (picked & chopped finely)
• 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp fresh oregano (chopped finely) use the dried if you can't get fresh
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 2 slices white bread
• 100g freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce:

• 1 spanish onion (finely chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1 small carrot (peeled & chopped small diced)
• 1 stick celery (chopped small diced)
• 2 tbs fresh thyme (picked and chopped)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tin of plum tomatoes (400g)
• 5 tbs olive oil or rapeseed oil
• 200ml vegetable stock
• 100g Spaghetti
• Sea salt and ground black peppers

The Method

1. Start with making the sauce. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over a medium heat, add the onion, carrot and garlic and cooked for around 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Add the sugar, thyme and a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Add the tomatoes, break them up with a spoon or spatulas then add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer. Now time for the meatballs.
   
   
2. Start by soaking the bread in the milk and leave for a few minutes. Place the mince into a large bowl then add all of the other ingredients, squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add that to the mixture.
   
   
3. Its best to Combine the mixture with your hands (clean of course) do this for about a minute. Roll them into 8 equally sized balls (for tapas, roll smaller balls about the size of a walnut). Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, drizzle the pan with oil and start to fry your meatballs until golden brown, when ready place them into your tomato sauce and finish cooking for 15 minutes on a low simmers. After this time the sauce should be nice and thick. Taste and if needed adjust the seasoning. Meatballs should be firm to the touch when cooked. Serve up with your cooked spaghetti and topped with grated Parmesan or serve in small dishes tapas style.

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