The greatest meatballs ever!

I’ve said this before but my Dad can cook and cook well!

He also has the temperament of a boiled up head Chef in a steam engine kitchen running 20 covers behind on a busy Saturday night. He is also a serious planner – this meat ball dish was in production 48 hours before we arrived home. The guy is like a machine.

I make meat balls regularly but nowhere near the standard my Dad can muster and I have never, ever been able to replicate his. So I decided against trying anymore, so the following recipe is his and features 10 cloves of garlic……..maybe he should call these Meat Balls – Dad’s Fearless Vampire Killers!

The single most important ingredient in this dish is the homegrown Basil – if you can get it use it as much as you can!

Serves 4

For the sauce:
50mls good Olive Oil
5 cloves garlic minced
1 bay leaf
1tps dried oregano
1 tbs caster sugar
2 tins chopped tomatoes
Splash of red wine
Handful of fresh basil…ripped

For the meatballs
2 medium white onions finely diced
5 cloves garlic minced
1tps dried oregano
250grms sausage meat
250grms minced beef
150grms fresh grated Parmesan
50grms bread crumbs
1 egg

So there is  a lot going on in this dish but it’s well worth the time it takes.
Kick off by building your balls!
Saute the garlic and onions until they are soft, then add to a large mixing bowl. Next add in the Sausage meat, beef, oregano, Parmesan, bread crumbs and the egg – season well with salt and pepper them ‘squidge’ everything together. Form the meat mix into balls – my Dad prefers the size of pool balls…as do I!

If you can let the meat balls rest in the fridge for a few hours, after which you can then brown them in a shallow frying pan. Set aside and get onto the sauce.

Heat a glug or two of Olive Oil in deep sauce pan, add in the garlic, bay leaf, oregano and cook out for 2 minutes. Next in with the tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper, wine and the ripped basil – simmer this gently for 30minute stirring occasionally.

Next add the browned meatballs to the sauce mix, slap on the lid and cook the meatballs and sauce in a medium oven for 60mins.

Keep and eye on the meatballs and make sure they don’t dry out – the sausage meat will give out a fair amount of fat but you can skim this off if you wish….I don’t 🙂

So that’s it – the meat balls are ready to serve either with a good homemade pasta or in this case some simple sauteed new spuds!

Thanks Dad – stinky breath for a week now!