Spicy Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Juicy spicy meatballs with tomato sauce – laden with mushrooms. Serve on a bed of spaghetti or a bowl of fluffy white rice

Back in the day

School in South Africa, back in the early ’60s, was a very stereotyped affair. For 2 hours every Friday afternoon the girls and boys were separted into 2 different classes. Girls were taught Domestic Science, and the luckier boys got to do Woodwork.

Domestic Science was the low-light of my week. The curriculum covered all aspects of home-making – cleaning, needlework and cookery. We had a text book that we had to work through, covering how to clean a house. To this day, the one thing that sticks in my mind was being taught the correct way to sweep a floor. There it was, written down in black and white, “Step 1 – Stand behind the broom”. Rivetting stuff!

I’m going to gloss over the needlework part of the curriculum. Suffice it to say that the blouse I painstakingly handstiched ended up being used as duster!

The cookery lessons were marginally better. However, looking back, I do feel sorry for the teacher whose job it was to instil the basics of cooking into 20 or so unwilling 14-year old girls. We were given the raw ingredients and had to follow along, as she patiently demonstrated how to make macaroni cheese and scones that turned out like rocks as we enthusiastically overmixed them.

My first attempt at meatballs

One of the things she taught us that does stick in my mind was how to make meatballs. It was a very basic recipe consisting of just minced beef, grated onions, egg and breadcrumbs, which we fried in cooking oil (no health considerations in those days). Surprisingly, mine turned out to be quite edible and I remember going home and making them for supper for the family that night.

I think it was those meatballs that started my love affair with cooking. The fact that I suddenly realised that taking ingredients and turning them into something worth eating, actually provided quite a sense of achievement.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since those days and I like to think the flavour of my meatballs has improved somewhat. Here is my recipe for spicy meatballs with tomato sauce. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients for spicy meatballs with tomato sauce

Whenever I read a recipe I like to have a look at the ingredients to see whether I have everything I need. To make it easy for you – I’ve listed the ingredients below. You can get the full list of ingredients and quantities in the printable recipe card further down in the post.

For the meatballs

• 250 g Minced Beef
• 250 g Minced Pork
• 1 large Egg
• 1 large onion – grated
• 2 slices White Bread
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes or to your own taste
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon mixed herbs

For the tomato sauce

• 6 large tomatoes – coarsely chopped
• 6 medium onions – coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 100 ml red wine vinegar
• 100 g brown sugar
• 1 tspn chilli flakes
• 2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to make spicy meatballs with tomato sauce

For the spicy meatballs

I use equal quantities of pork and beef mince.  I find pork mince adds extra flavour to the meatballs and makes them softer and more juicy. You could use all beef – then you will need 500g beef.

Soak the bread in milk. Leave it to stand until all the milk has been absorbed and the bread is soggy.

Mix the pork and beef together in a mixing bowl and add 1 egg

Gently squeeze the milk from the bread and add the bread to the meat.

Grate in one large onion and add all the seasoning ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper and mix all together thoroughly.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment paper to stop the meatballs sticking. If you use baking parchment you will not need to use any oil. If you don’t have baking parchment then just coat the baking tray with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Roll into golf-ball sized meatballs and place on the baking tray.

To stop the meatballs from sticking to your hands whilst forming the meatballs keep a bowl of cold water close by for dipping your hands into. The meat will not stick to wet hands.

Place the baking tray in a pre-heated oven (200C/400F) for half-an-hour until they are nicely browned and cooked through.

To test whether the meatballs are cooked, cut one in half. It should not be pink.

For the tomato sauce

Chop the tomatoes and onion into 1cm (1/2″) dice.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onions. Let them sweat, covered, in the saucepan for 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and increase the heat to bring them to the boil.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes until you have a lovely mushy sauce.

Take care when adding the chilli. Dried chilli flakes can be quite hot so if you don’t want the sauce to have too much of a bite add the chilli flakes gradually and taste as you go.

Remove the lid, add the mushrooms and continue simmering (without the lid) until the sauce is thick and glossy, and the mushrooms are cooked. This will take approximately 20 minutes. Keep your eye on it so it does not dry out.

Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs, arranged on a bed of rice or pasta.

And there you have it – the easiest and quickest mid-week dinner.

Equipment

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You probably have all of this equipment in your kitchen already. In case you are missing something, I’ve included some handy links to items on Amazon that you may find useful.

• Mixing bowl
• Grater – for grating the onion – try to get one with a non-slip base – it’s much easier to use.
• Baking Sheet – for baking the meatballs – the bigger the better – so you can fit more meatballs on.
• Baking Parchment – to line the baking tray – this 50′ roll will last for ages.
• Sharp Knife – for chopping vegetables
• Saucepan – for the tomato sauce – I like a saucepan with a heatproof handle.

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Can I freeze spicy meatballs with tomato sauce?

You can freeze these meatballs, either cooked or uncooked.  Just arrange them, untouching, in a suitable container, and they will keep in the freezer, uncooked for up to 3 months, or cooked for up to 1 month.

I would let these defrost in the fridge, or you can defrost them in the microwave if you are in a hurry.  Then just cook them according to the recipe.

If you want to cook these from frozen you will have to add about 5 minutes extra onto the cooking time.

You can also freeze any leftover tomato sauce. Just ladle it into a suitable freezer container or ziploc bag and place in the freezer. This sauce will keep will for up to 6 months.

To defrost, tip the frozen sauce into a saucepan and heat gently until defrosted, then increase the heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and serve.

Make miniature meatballs for a quick party snack

If you are looking for a quick party snack, you could make marble-sized meatballs.  Stick them onto cocktail sticks and serve with a bowl of  Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce (Nam Chim Kai) for dipping.  This recipe should be sufficient for about 40 miniature meatballs.

Other recipes you may enjoy

If you liked these meatballs, perhaps you’d like to try these Thai Meatballs with Satay Sauce. They are made with a mixture of chicken and pork mince and covered with a tasty peanut flavoured sauce.

If you are looking for beef mince recipes then why consider one of these recipes.

• Meatloaf wrapped in bacon – this is a twist on a classic meatloaf recipe. The meatloaf is formed by spreading minced beef on a layer of bacon which is covered in cheese, and then rolled up in a spiral, before being baked in the oven.
• Savoury Mince Pancake bake with Cheese Sauce consists of pancakes rolled around cooked beef mince, before being covered with a cheese sauce. A bit like cannelloni, but without the fuss of filling the cannelloni tubes.
• Homemade chilli bolognese is a delicious bolognese type sauce served over pasta.

Recipe – spicy meatballs with tomato sauce

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Spicy meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Spicy meatballs with a hint of chilli – serve smothered in homemade Tomato Sauce cooked with mushrooms

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Any

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 321kcal

Author: VJ

Ingredients

Spicy Meatballs

• 250 g Minced Beef
• 250 g Minced Pork
• 1 large Egg
• 2 slices White Bread
• ½ cup milk for soaking the bread
• 1 large Onion Grated
• 1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes or to your own taste
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
• Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Chilli Sauce

• 4 large tomatoes coarsely chopped
• 2 medium onions coarsely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 50 ml red wine vinegar
• 50 ml brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes or to your own taste
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Instructions

Spicy Meatballs

• Combine the pork and beef mince together in a mixing bowl
• Add the egg and the squeezed out bread
• Soad the bread in the milk until all the milk has been absorbed. Then squeeze out the milk and add the bread to the meat mixture.
• Grate in the onion
• Add remaining ingredients and mix well
• Form into golf-ball sized balls
• Line a baking tray with baking parchment and arrange the meat balls in a single layer
• Bake in a hot oven 200°C / 400°F for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Chilli Sauce

• Chop the tomatoes and onions coarsely
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and allow the onions to sweat, covered, for about 2 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, increase the heat and bring to the boil.
• Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover with a lid. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes until you have a mushy sauce.
• Remove the lid, add the mushrooms and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the mushrooms are cooked.

To serve

• Arrange the meatballs on a bed of rice or pasta and cover with the sauce.

Notes

A mixture of pork and beef mince will give juicier meatballs.  You could just use beef if you prefer.

When making the meatballs, keep a bowl of water close by to dip your hands into.  The meat will not stick to wet hands.

If you line your baking tray with baking parchment the meatballs will not stick and you will not have to use any oil for cooking them.

Test that the meatballs are cooked by cutting one in half.  It should not be pink in the centre.

The sauce should be left uncovered for the final 20 minutes to allow it to thicken.

The sauce takes longer to cook than the meatballs, so get the sauce cooking before you start with the meatballs.

When adding the chilli to the tomato sauce, adjust the amount according to your own taste.  Dried chilli flakes can be quite hot, so take care.

Calorie count does not include rice or pasta.

 

I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only.  If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

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