Herby pork balls in a spiced tomato sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the pork balls
500g Sausage meat (Good quality) / 10g Chopped Garlic (3 cloves)
1 Tbsp Dried basil / 25g grated parmesan cheese
100g Finely chopped onion / 1 tsp dried oregano
.
For the spiced tomato sauce
1 Tbsp of olive oil / 15g butter
250g Finely chopped onion (2-3 small onions) / 1 Tbsp Mei's original chilli sauce
4 Tbsp Red pesto / 2 tsp Soft dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp Ground black pepper / 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
2 x 400g Tins of chopped tomatoes
Instructions
1, Preheat the oven to 200º/180º fan
2, In a large mixing bowl, add all the pork ball ingredients and mix well.
3, Divide the mixture into 16 golf ball size balls and place on a baking tray. When the oven is up to temperature, put them in for 30 minutes.
4, Meantime, in a large oven proof pan with a lid, add the oil over a medium to high heat. Add the butter & let it melt. Add the onions and gently fry until soft.
5, Reduce the heat to a medium. Add Mei's original chilli sauce & stir-fry for 2 minutes. Mix in the pesto & sugar to form a paste.
6, Stir in the thyme, parsley, pepper & salt if using. Add both tins of tomato and mix well. Bring to a gentle simmer.
7, When the pork balls are ready, add them on top of the sauce in the pan. Place a lid on top and place in the oven for another 30 minutes.
8, Serve with pasta and an optional garnish of fresh basil.
.
Cook's notes
You can make the meat balls out of good quality mince & with the same ingredients as the sausage meat but use an egg to help bind the mixture together.
If you are cooking this meal for a special occasion, you can cook the first half in advance. After placing the meat balls on top of the sauce, turn the hob off & place a lid on top of the pan until needed. Allow 40 minutes in the oven instead of 30 minutes as previous to allow the food to heat through.
Every month we give you the chance to WIN A £5 VOUCHER to spend with us at The Cooking Plumber. All you have to do is share a photo of a dish that you've made using one of our products on social media, naming the product and tagging @thecookingplumber. You will then be automatically entered into the draw at the end of that month.