Giant Meatballs (#Upwards)

Giant Meatballs

This salad is inspired by the inimitable Matty Matheson. Turns out the Friend to Pasta Salad (pg..) is also a friend to these Giant Meatballs!

1 ½ kg beef mince

2 Slices white bread

½ cup Milk

½ cup ground Pecorino or Parmesan cheese or even cheddar!

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 large egg

¼ tsp fennel seed

½ tsp dried oregano

Pinch chili flakes

Salt & white Pepper

To Finish:

3 cups Velvet Tomatoes (pg…)

½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese

Friend to Pasta Salad (pg…)

Preheat oven to 220°C. (a hot oven or pizza oven!)

In a small bowl, tear the bread into pieces and pour the milk over the bread.

Let the bread soak, squeezing it to mix well with your fingertips.

In a medium sized bowl, add the meat, moistened bread, along with the rest of the meatball ingredients. Mix until well combined with your fingers, then shape into 6 or more large balls about 90g each (about 8 cm in diameter).

Line a baking sheet with baking paper and place the balls on the prepared baking sheet and brush with some vegetable oil. Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes. Meatballs should be well coloured.

Remove the meatballs from the oven and transfer them in a deep oven-proof casserole dish. Pour the sauce all over the meatballs, then return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.

To serve

Plate one giant meatball on a plate and pour over a little of the Velvet tomato sauce that it has cooked in. Arrange a pile of grated Parmesan on the top of the meatball. Arrange the friendly salad beside the Meatball.