Meatballs in tomato and orange sauce
These tasty meatballs can be made with minced beef or pork or a mixture of chicken and pork
SERVES
8
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
20
MINUTES
Ingredients
4 spring onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
225g (8oz) minced beef or pork or a mixture of chicken and pork
2 tbsp grated Manchego cheese
2 tsp thyme leaves, plus more to serve (optional)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons more to thicken (optional)
4 tomatoes, chopped
200ml (7fl oz) red wine
2 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves
½ tsp caster sugar
a little freshly grated orange zest, plus juice of 1 orange
2 tsp cornflour (optional)
chopped black olives (optional)
Method
Mix the spring onions and garlic with the meat, cheese and thyme in a bowl and season with plenty of salt and pepper.
Mould into little meatballs with the palm of your hand, then fry gently in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a deepish pan, turning frequently until browned all over. Remove the meatballs, set on kitchen paper, and keep them warm in a low oven.
Add the tomatoes to the pan with the wine, rosemary, sugar, orange zest and juice and season with salt and pepper. Cook gently for 15 minutes or so.
If the sauce is too thin, mix the cornflour with the two tablespoons of olive oil to make a paste. Whisk 1 tablespoon of the paste into the sauce and bring it to the boil. Cook out until the sauce is thick and smooth (you probably won’t need the rest of the paste but keep it in case you want the sauce even thicker). Replace the meatballs and cook gently until warmed through.
Serve sprinkled with chopped black olives or more thyme.
Recipe from The Buenvino Cookbook by Jeannie & Sam Chesterton
