Meat Smoke Fire

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Meat Smoke Fire

Nduja Meatballs

NDUJA MEATBalls IN TOMATO SAUCE WITH PASTA

Introducing our twist on classic meatballs in tomato sauce! Take perfectly seasoned pork balls boosted with the spicy flavor of nduja. Finished in a rich tomato sauce and served with pasta, this dish is a true delight for a midweek dinner. The nduja adds a little kick from the warmth of the chilli in the pork sausage.

This dish would also work well served on a bed of creamy, cheesy polenta.

Cooking surfaces

BBQ Temperature

Ingredients

For the Ndjua meatballs

  • 500g pork mince
  • 100g fresh breadcrumbs (approx 3 slices of bread)
  • 70g nduja, chopped
  • 1/2 small bunch of parsley, chopped
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp oil (to fry off the meatballs)

For the sauce

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes, chopped
  • good pinch of sugar
  • 150 ml milk
  • salt and pepper to season

To serve

  • pasta
  • fresh basil
  • parmesan cheese, finely grated

    Equipment

    Method

    1. Setup your Big Green Egg for a direct cook at 180°C with the stainless steel grid and a cast-iron skillet.
    2. Place your ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl and squeeze together quite vigorously using your hands. The more you work the mixture, the stickier the mixture becomes and will bind itself together. You could also use a blender, if you prefer.
    3. Then, form the mixture into 16 balls using your hands. Set aside on a plate and chill in the fridge until needed.
    4. Next we make the sauce.  We start by heating the oil in the skillet and then add the onion, garlic and pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes until softened and translucent.
    5. Add the tomatoes to the pan with a good pinch of sugar, cook for a further 10 minutes.
    6. Add the milk, season with salt and pepper to taste.
    7. In a separate pan, heat up 1 tbsp oil.  Add the meatballs and fry for about 5 minutes.  Turning them regularly to ensure they are nicely caramelised all over.  Once cooked, check the internal temp has reached 74°C using a Thermapen.
    8. Once the meat balls are cooked, add them to the tomato sauce.  Once the sauce is simmering, cook for 40 minutes.
    9.  Serve the meatballs and sauce over your favourite cooked pasta.  Garnish with fresh basil leaves and grated parmesan cheese.
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