Ingredients
- Tomato sauce:
- 3tbs olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 small brown onion, diced
- 1tsp dried oregano
- ½tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tin good quality chopped tomatoes
- 12 cherry vine tomatoes
- 2tbs red wine vinegar
- 1tbs caster sugar
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- Meatballs:
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 30ml milk
- 300g pork mince
- 300g beef mince
- 12g salt
- 2tsp dried oregano
- 2tbs vegetable oil
- Gremolata:
- Handful flat parsley, roughly chopped
- Handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3tbs olive oil
- Pinch of sea salt
1. Start by making the tomato sauce. Heat a saucepan and add the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, oregano and chilli flakes and cook for five minutes on a low heat. Add the tin of tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to very low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. While the tomato sauce is simmering, prepare the meatballs. Stir the milk into the breadcrumbs and set aside to soak for 20 minutes. Add the pork mince and beef mince to a bowl along with the salt and oregano. Add the soaked breadcrumbs and mix together well. Shape the mix into meatballs by rolling a small handful of mince mix between your hands. Try to keep them all the same size.
3. Heat a frying pan and add the vegetable oil. Add the meatballs and fry for eight to 10 minutes over a medium heat, turning them regularly until dark brown all over.
4. Take the meatballs out of the frying pan and place into the tomato sauce. Allow to simmer in the sauce on a low heat for 15 minutes with the lid on, stirring and spooning the sauce over the meatballs every four to five minutes, then remove from the heat.
5. To make the gremolata, add the parsley, mint, lemon zest, garlic, olive oil and salt to a blender and blend.
6. To serve, add the meatballs and tomato sauce to a serving dish and spoon over the gremolata.
