Meatball Mania

A packet of mince is a standard feature in most people's freezer. Break it out, defrost it and turn it into something special...

For the Meatballs:

• 500g of lean mince
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp of concentrated beef stock (or an oxo cube)
• 2 tsp of horseradish sauce (or mustard)
• 2 tsp of ground corriander
• Breadcrumbs (optional)
• Finely grated Parmesan (or the cheap powdered stuff if you must)

For the Sauce:

• 1 chilli
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 small tin of tomato puree
• A few sun-dried tomatos
• 2 tbsp of oregano
• 1 tblsp of honey
• Red wine
  
• Fresh basil

To Serve:

• Spaghetti
• Butter
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• Parmesan

Method:

• First up get the onions sweating. Chop them up and put them in a large pan on a low heat. Put the lid on the pan and stir them every few minutes. We want them soft and sweet which will take about as long as it takes you to make the meatballs.
• For the meatballs put the garlic, stock, horseradish, corriander and egg in a blender and whizz it all up.
• Put the mince into a bowl and pour the blended mix over it and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with clean hands!
• Add a couple of handfuls of the grated Parmasan (don't be shy) and a handful or two of breadcrumbs if you are using them. Mix again, you should now feel the mix drying up a bit as these ingredients absorb some of the moisture.
• Roll the mixture into as many golf ball sized meatballs as you can manage.
• Now, before we make the sauce we need to seal the meatballs. Before we do that add the chilli to the onions and give it a minute on a medium high heat. This will take the edge off.
• When you are ready push the chilli/onion mix to the corner of your pan and slowly add the meatballs to the clearned area. (take them out altogether if you don't have a very big pan)
• Turn the heat up and get these babies sizzling! Turn using tongs and keep them moving until they all take on a nice colour with a few charred bits.
• When ready, mix the onion and chillis back in and then add the red wine. Let this bubble and reduce a little to intensify the flavour before adding the tinned tomatos, oregano and tomato puree and honey.
• Carefully mix this altogether ensuring that you avoid breaking up your meatballs. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for about 45 minutes to allow the flavours to develop (stir occasionally to stop it sticking)
• 10 minutes before the end get the spagetti on. When it is ready drain into a colander and add a nob of butter. lightly salt and then grind some black pepper over it and toss the pasta so it doesn't stick together
• To serve put some spagetti into a bowl, toss with a little more Parmesan and then cover with meatballs and plenty of sauce.

This dish is unbelivable tasty, and is even better the next day so don't be too greedy when dishing it up!!!!