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Meatball on a fork

Italian Meatballs Recipe

Cowbridge Kitchen

If you are looking for a recipe to make Meatballs then give this a go. There are lots of recipes for Italian Meatballs on the internet but not many in a Marinara sauce.

This meatball recipe shows you how to make the most delicious , juicy meatballs ever by making a Panada, which is the secret to these meatballs juicy texture.

The perfect texture comes from the combination of minced Beef and minced Pork.

I like to serve these meatballs with tagliatelle or spaghetti


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It takes about 55 minutes to make these
30 mins Prep time
25 mins Cooking time
Cooking timer Time
Nutritional Facts
This is based on 6 meatballs
per serving

Calories: 250
Protein: 13g
Fat: 20g
Carbohydrates: 5g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 1g
Nutritional information Nutrition
This recipe will serve upto 4 people Table for Two Servings
Medium : This recipe is not to tough
Anybody can have a go at this recipe, but you do need some cooking skils.
A novice would find this difficult
Chefs hat Difficulty
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    Video may vary from this recipe

    How to Make Meatballs

    A meatball is ground meat rolled into a small ball, along with other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, onions, eggs, butter, and seasoning.

    There are many different types of meatballs and many meatball recipes, not many of these recipes tell you that you need to make a 'Panada' which is the secret to making the meatballs juicy.

    A panada is a paste of flour and water or in this case, Breadcrumbs and water and it will keep your meatballs nice and juicy.


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    ingredients

    For the meatballs
    450 g Minced Beef
    300 g Pork Sausage Meat
    75 g Fresh Breadcrumbs
    100 ml Milk
    1 Brown Onion
    1 tsp Chopped Garlic
    1 Small Egg
    75 g Grated Parmesan
    1tsp Oregano
    1/4 tsp Black Pepper
    2 tbs Extra Virgin Oil

    For the Sauce
    2 tins of Chopped Tomatoes
    1 Brown Onion
    1 tsp Chopped Garlic
    60 ml Tomato Paste
    30 ml Extra Virgin Oil
    1 tsp of Dry Oregano
    1/4 tsp Black Pepper
    Pinch of Chilli Flakes

    Cooking Instructions

      For the Meatballs
    1. For these meatballs you need to make a 'Panada' that is made by soaking breadcrumbs in some milk. So you need to get some fresh bread and process it in a food processor to make 75 g of fresh breadcrumbs, then add these to 100 ml of full fat milk to form a thick paste. Set this aside while you get on with the rest of the recipe.
    2. Dice up your onion and set aside
    3. Grate up the parmesan cheese
    4. Beat the egg in a small bowl or glass.
    5. Put the Mince Beef and Sausage meat in a bowl and with your hand mash it up until smooth.
    6. Mix in the diced onion and garlic with your hands.
    7. Season the mince with salt & pepper
    8. Then mix in the Parmesan, oregano, egg and the Panada and combine with your hands
    9. Divide the mixture up into approx. 1 inch balls (You should get 18 - 24 meatballs). When doing this make sure your hands are wet to stop the meat sticking to them.
    10. Fry the meatballs in batches to fit your pan, in some extra virgin olive oil until they are brown all over (5 - 10 mins)
    11. You can add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for a further 10 - 15 mins to finish off cooking.
    12. For the Sauce
    13. Peal your onion and just slice it in half, then throw it into a thick bottom or cast iron cooking pot.
    14. Add the two tins of chopped tomatoes and the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and stir. Turn on the heat and start to bring it to the boil.
    15. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, Garlic, Oregano, Black Pepper & Tomato Paste.
    16. Mix this together with a wooden spoon.
    17. When the sauce is boiling reduce to a low simmer.
    18. You need to simmer this sauce for at least 45 minutes , the longer the better.
    19. When the sauce is finished remove the onion and then if you wish you can blend the sauce, I just get a potato masher in there and mash it down.
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    Tips -
    Other ideas > Info:
    ''The secret to this recipe is the Panada , it keeps the meatballs moist...''