Kyufte ... klops ... mesovóla ... a meatball by many other names.
We are all bound by common, beloved comfort foods and in this case, it's polpetta, or Italian meatballs - succulent with garlic, Parmesan & parsley, there is nothing more tempting. My personal favourite is a Ciabatta Meatball sandwich, smothered in Sugo & topped with mozzarella, but they are equally wonderful served with pasta, or the low-carb option of a bed of crispy salad greens or simply, rice.
Recipe for Italian Meatballs
250g minced beef
250g minced pork 1/2 cup of fresh breadcrumbs 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan 1/2 bunch of chopped parsley (incl stems) 3 chopped garlic Salt & Pepper to taste
Sugo
2 x tins whole Pelati tomatoes
2 chopped garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Instructions
Put all ingredients in a bowl and simply mix everything together using your hands. Mould balls in your preferred size, using a spoon to (roughly) measure meat mix.
Lay on a baking tray
Cook in a pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 6, 200 degrees C, or 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes
In the meantime, get the sugo on the go - simply heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add garlic (keep the heat low, so as to not burn or even brown the garlic - we are looking for an almost translucent result). Add tomatoes, bring to the boil, then simmer until the oil rises to the top. Use a potato masher to break down the tomatoes.
Put semi cooked meatballs in the sugo to finish the cooking process - this will ensure the flavour of the sugo will infuse into the meatballs, making them juicy and delicious.