Meatballs
You can cook this dish up quickly, but my favourite is to slow cook; the sauce develops, deepens in intensity, and the meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender.
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
20
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
40
MINUTES
Ingredients
1lb (450g) round steak mince
80g breadcrumbs
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1 beef OXO cube, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g flour, plain or self-raising
4 tbsp olive oil
50g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
200g cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, crushed
60ml white wine (optional)
1 can chopped tomatoes
½ pint chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp grated Parmesan, to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 200C, 180C fan, gas 6.
Add the mince, breadcrumbs, one tbsp tomato purée, egg yolk, fresh thyme and basil, crushed OXO cube, salt and pepper into a large bowl.
Use your hands to combine all the ingredients really well. Roll into balls roughly the size of ping pong balls.
Roll each meatball in 80g of flour and coat well.
Add two tbsp olive oil and 25g butter to a frying pan on a medium-high heat.
Cook the meatballs in batches of eight or so at a time, ensuring they are browned all over; they will not be cooked through. Set aside.
In the same frying pan, add two tbsp olive oil and 25g butter on medium heat, and brown off the onion and tomatoes for four to five minutes.
Add the crushed garlic and fry for a further minute.
Add the can of chopped tomatoes and one tbsp tomato purée into your onion, tomatoes and garlic, stir and bring to a simmer.
Return the meatballs to the tomato sauce.
Pour in the wine, if using, and allow it to reduce almost completely so there is very little liquid left in the pan. The wine is optional, but it does add a lovely flavour, and all alcohol is burnt off in the process.
Add 20g flour to the ingredients and mix through — this will thicken the sauce.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, add a bay leaf, salt, freshly ground pepper, and taste to adjust the seasoning.
For the quick cook, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the meat is fully cooked through.
To slow cook, transfer the meatballs and sauce to an ovenproof casserole pot or dish.
Loosely cover with some parchment paper and tin foil, allowing gaps for steam to escape.
Cook at 140C, 120C fan, gas 1 for three to four hours or place into a slow cooker on low for three to four hours or longer.
Remove bay leaf before serving. Garnish with grated parmesan. Serve with pasta or potatoes.
