Meat Club #3 recipe and photos 12/03/09

Giant meat balls with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese recipe

Ingredients(for 6 people)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 bulb garlic, finely chopped

3 tins of chopped tomato

1tbs tomato puree

1tsp dried thyme

1tsp rosemary

1tsp dry oregano

1tsp*2 Italian herb

900g mince(lean minced steak)

1tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tbs plain flour

1/2 tbs potato starch or corn starch

2 balls of Mozzarella light, chopped each 6 pieces

2 cups brown basmati rice

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan.
   
3. Add the onion, season with salt and black pepper, stirring, until transparent. Turn the heat down then add half of garlic. *Garlic should be barely cooked so garlic will be cooked through in the oven.
   
4. Add the tins of chopped tomato, all herbs and tomato puree and black pepper. Put the lid on and heat up for 20 mins. 
   
5. While the tomato sauce is cooked, Out all the mince in a ball and add the Italian herbs and chili powder. Season with salt and black pepper and add rest of garlic.
6. Mix it up using skinny end of wooden spoon. Add flour and potato starch and mix it more. 
   
7. Make 12 meatballs from the mince.
8. Put the meat balls in a casserole and pour the 80% of tomato sauce over them. 
   
9. Add mozzarella cheese and cover the rest of the tomato sauce.
10. Cover the casserole with tin foil. Place it in pre-heat oven and cook for 45 mins.
11. Meanwhile, cook basmati rice.
12. Take off the tin foil from the casserole and put under grill till the meatballs turn bown.
13. Serve meat balls with brown basmati rice