The Sunday Mail
Meatballs stew is better tasting when freshly made at home
TEMPERATURES are dropping and the body craves more comfort hearty food. This week I give you a meatball recipe that produces some soft yummy meatballs. These are cooked with the affordable local oyster mushrooms currently in season.
They are perfect with pasta and a fresh salad.
This meat mixture can also be used in summer to make some homemade burger patties for braais. For a spicier versions of the meatballs, one chilli can be added to the mixture.
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
750g extra-lean/fat-free beef mince;
Two Table spoons —Robertson’s Barbeque Spice;
Two Table spoons — Ina Paarman’s Sticky Barbeque Marinade;
Oxtail Soup Powder;
One egg, beaten;
Half a medium onion, diced;
Worcestershire sauce;
Half a can of Italian diced tomatoes;
One punnet of oyster mushrooms, washed and chopped.
Preparing the meat mixture
Mix the mincemeat, diced onions, barbeque spices, one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, two tablespoons of Sticky Marinade Barbeque, a pinch of salt (1/4 teaspoon) and two tablespoons of soup powder into a paste in a bowl.
Beat one egg in a separate bowl and add to the mixture. The egg should bring the mixture together to bind the meatballs.
Shape into balls and set aside in a tray or plate.
Put the plate of meatballs in freezer for 15 minutes for the balls to set, any leftover balls can be put aside in the freezer covered with cling wrap plastic for later use.
Cooking instructions
Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray and cover the base of pan with a shallow amount of olive oil or canola oil.
Put the pan on high heat and when the oil has heated, gently place meatballs in the pan and cover with lid.
After about three minutes, gently turn each ball so that they turn brown on each side. Be careful not to break them.
Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes so that the meat cooks through.
Open lid to evaporate the excess water and put back on high setting. Fry the balls gently to brown them with the remaining oil.
Add half a can of Italian diced tomatoes, one cup of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of oxtail soup powder and mushrooms to the mixture.
Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
Mix the sauce and meatballs and ensure that the sauce has an even thickness. Remove from heat.
Serve warm with spaghetti or tagliatelle pasta and grated cheese on each hot serving plate for some extra hearty eating.
