Don’t miss out on National Meatball Day

BECOME creative in the kitchen by incorporating a humble meatball into delicious dishes on National Meatball Day (Tuesday, 9 March).

According to food historians, meatballs were first invented in the second century BC in China, rolling across the Middle East and making it via the trade routes to Europe.

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Today, just about every culture on the planet has a version of meatballs.

There’s the Japanese-style grilled chicken meatball known as tsukune; the Vietnamese chicken meatballs rolled in sugar before baking and served in lettuce wraps; Mexican meatball soup; Moroccan spiced lamb and rice meatballs with aromatic saffron; Norwegian meatballs made with lamb and veal; curry meatballs from India; and spaghetti and meatballs from Italy.A South African version of the meatball is better known as a ‘frikkadel’, and is usually prepared with beef mince, onion, bread, eggs and spices before being deep fried or baked.

Celebrate National Meatball Day this year by trying out one of the recipes created by two chefs from Capsicum Culinary Studio in South Africa.

1. Asian chicken meatballs with a dipping sauce

Ingredients
500g chicken fillets
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
3g of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
1-2 red or green chillis, de-seeded

Method
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and combine until you get a fairly smooth consistency.
Scoop up a tablespoon of the mixture and roll into balls, dust in flour and shallow fry for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

For the dipping sauce

Ingredients
4 tbs soya sauce
1 tbs lime juice
1 tbs brown sugar or palm sugar
½ tbs sesame oil
Freshly chopped coriander

Method
Whisk all the ingredients well and serve with the Asian chicken meatballs

2. Monster meatballs

Ingredients
500g ground beef
250g ground pork (can be substituted for finely diced bacon)
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
180ml breadcrumbs
5ml paprika
5ml dried oreganum
5ml fresh thyme, minced
5ml fresh rosemary, minced
10ml salt and black pepper
1 egg, beaten
15ml milk
15g parmesan cheese, grated
30g butter, cubed (cold)
20ml olive oil

Method
Prepare a baking tray by brushing it with oil or coating with baking spray.
Add ground beef and ground pork to a large bowl.
Add onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, spices and herbs to the ground meat and combine
Mix in beaten egg, milk and parmesan to bind together.
Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Place a single cube of butter into each portion (as the meatball cooks, the butter melts and adds moisture to the meatball).
Shape the meatball around the butter cube forming a ball.
Evenly coat each meatball in olive oil, place on a prepared baking tray and refrigerate for an hour.

3. Monster sliders
Pre-heat oven to 180°C
Fry meatballs in a little oil over medium-high heat until half done.
Once firm, gently press down using the back of a fork or spatula.
Slice 12 mini buns in half horizontally. Place bottom halves, cut side up, onto a prepared baking tray. Place a meatball on each roll.
Top meatballs with a tomato-based pasta sauce, add a couple of fresh basil leaves and grated cheddar and mozzarella.
Place bun tops over the meatballs and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese has melted and sauce is heated through.

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