Tags
Cheese, Chefs, Cooks, Entertainment, food and drink, Food Blogs, Herbs, ingredients, Meatballs, Mince, Pancetta, Parmesan, Pork, S.A. Food Blogs, Tomato sauce, Veal, wine
Busy day and it is bitterly cold, I have barely ten minutes before the butcher closes. Dashing in I join the end of a long queue, but at least it gives me time to cast my eye over the long display counter to pick out what I want. I want something that can simmer and putter its way to perfect tenderness. The veal and pork mince conjures up images of delicate meat balls cooking slowly in a rich, mouth mopping tomato sauce; I ask the butcher to provide me with a fine mince of equal proportions of both veal and pork. I head for home and the welcome warmth of the kitchen, to quickly prepare the meal and then to sit back and enjoy the company of good friends for an hour in front of the warmth of the fire while the food slowly takes care of itself as it gently bubbles away, releasing the most gorgeous mouth watering fragrance into the air as it cooks.
Veal & Pork Meatballs
These are the most delicate, moreish little balls of meat that will have you licking your fingers and mopping the juices until nothing but a clean plate is left. A perfect dish for family and good friends.
Serves 4
Ingredients
250 g minced veal
250 g minced pork
1 large egg
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
60 g grated Parmesan cheese
1 slice of day old bread, soaked in a little milk, then squeezed dry
60 g finely diced pancetta
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
The Cooking sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion finely diced
2 tablespoons tomato puree
½ tsp. castor sugar
Water, sufficient
Method
Place all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix together gently but thoroughly. Shape into 12 even size balls, and then flatten slightly into oval shapes about 1 cm thick.
Place the olive oil in a heated pan and gently fry the meatballs until well browned on each side and then transfer to a casserole or suitable ovenproof dish.
In the same frying pan add the onion, tomato puree, sugar and 100ml water, stir well and cook for about 5-10 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs, add some water, the water should almost cover them. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.
You can serve the saucy meatballs with ribbon pasta, rice or just hunks of crisp bread.