There is no pan frying involved in making these meatballs as they are cooked directly in the tomato sauce and therefore are wonderfully juicy and aromatic. The recipe yields about 16 large meatballs but may be easily halved.
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tins of chopped tomato
15ml sugar
10ml salt
10ml dried oregano
250ml beef stock
2 slices bread
62ml milk
1kg beef mince
10ml salt
250ml mozzarella cheese, grated
125ml parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Add the onion, garlic and a splash of oil to an ovenproof saucepan and place on medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chopped tomato, sugar, salt, oregano and stock and allow the mixture to simmer slowly while you get on with the meatballs.
Slice the crusts from the bread and place it in a bowl.
Pour the milk onto the bread, turning the bread in the milk so that it becomes soggy and start falling apart.
Add the beef and salt to the bread mixture and mix with your hands. Push your hand down into the minced meat and squeeze it through your fingers – repeat until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Scoop a tablespoon-full of the meat mixture into your hands and roll into a ball. Place the meatball directly into the slowly simmering tomato sauce.
Keep going until you have no meat mixture left.
Sprinkle the grated cheeses onto the meatballs and bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Serve with a crusty bread or fluffy mashed potato.
My Whisk and I 