Recipes from Meatballs: The ultimate guide, by Matteo Bruno

Pork, peanut & water chestnut

Makes 30 meatballs

Using similar ingredients to a traditional san choy bau, this incredibly tasty meatball is a perfect example of how to turn a timeless classic into a spherical delight. Once cooked, simply place each ball in a lettuce leaf and serve.

1kg minced pork
4 garlic cloves, crushed
60g ginger, grated, plus extra to serve
120g water chestnuts, diced
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
100ml soy sauce
2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise
1 white onion, finely diced
zest of 1 small lime
50g coriander, leaves picked and chopped
1 egg, whisked
120g roasted peanuts, cooled and crushed
sesame oil
bean sprouts (optional)
2 fresh green chillies, sliced (optional)
juice of 1 lime, for drizzling (optional)

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients (except the peanuts and sesame oil) and season with a pinch of white pepper and salt. Set the mixture aside to cool in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. This will allow the aromatics to infuse into the pork.

Remove the mixture from the refrigerator, add the peanuts and combine. Using your hands, roll the mixture into 50g balls.

Preheat the oven to 180C and add a small ovenproof saucer of water to the back of the oven to create humidity.

Heat a drizzle of sesame oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Introduce the meatballs a few at a time into the hot pan, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Constantly move the pain in a circling motion. This will help the balls roll around the pan and achieve a nice even brown colour. You can do this in stages. This should take 3-5 minutes.

Once each ball has colour, add them all to the pan, transfer to the humid oven and cook for 8 minutes.

Serve immediately on lettuce leaves.

Note: You can buy the peanuts already roasted, but if you want to do them yourself, simply spread them out on a roasting tray and bake them in a dry oven at 160C for about 15 minutes.

Note: For extra crunch and heat, add bean sprouts, some grated ginger and sliced green chilli to the lettuce leaves with the meatballs. Drizzle with lime juice.

Spicy hoisin sauce with ginger & garlic

Makes 200g

A highly aromatic Asian-style sauce, this goes perfectly with the Asian-inspired meatball recipes. It can be used as a dipping sauce or can be drizzled over the final dish.

2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
80ml rice vinegar
2 tbsp mirin
80ml hoisin sauce
2 tsp honey
2 tsp finely grated ginger
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce

Mix all of the ingredients together until fully combined.

Meatballs rustico

Makes 24 meatballs

Super easy to make and incredibly versatile, these delicious meatballs can be combined with spaghetti to make classic spaghetti and meatballs, they can be crushed and used as a topping for pizzas, or they can be enjoyed in their purest form with a loaf of crusty bread.

400g minced pork
300g minced beef
300g minced veal
4 slices white bread
100ml milk
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small brown onion, finely diced
30g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50g finely grated parmesan cheese
160g fresh ricotta cheese
2 eggs, plus 1 yolk, lightly whisked
2 litres chunky Italian red sauce (see below)
50g basil, leaves picked and torn

In a mixing bowl, season the pork, beef and veal with salt and pepper. Soak the bread in the milk, then remove any excess milk by squeezing the bread in your hand. Tear up the bread into small pieces and add it to the meat.

Add the garlic and onion, parsley, chilli flakes, nutmeg, parmesan and ricotta cheese. Finally, add the egg to the meat mixture and fold everything together with your hands. Roll 60g portions into balls and place them on a tray.

Pour the red sauce into a heavy-based saucepan over low heat and bring it to a gentle simmer. Tear up the basil leaves and add them to the sauce. Gently introduce the meatballs into the liquid one at a time, starting from the outside of the pot and working your way into the centre. Cook at a gentle simmer for 16-18 minutes. Once cooked, these meatballs should be tender and falling apart.

Chunky Italian red sauce

You can use any variety of fresh tomato – feel free to leave the skins on as this all adds to the texture of the sauce. This warming sauce can be made in bulk and used across a variety of dishes.

Makes 1.4kg
olive oil
1kg fresh tomatoes, diced
½ brown onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
800g tinned chopped tomatoes
50g basil, leaves picked and torn

Start by heating up a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the fresh tomato and stir around the pan until they take on some colour and begin to break down. You need to get the pan very hot so that the natural sugars in the tomato come out the moment they make contact with the hot oil.

Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook while stirring for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and tomato paste. Once the onion has been partially cooked, add the tinned tomato, reduce the heat to low and cook for at least 1 hour or until reduced by around half.

Season with salt and lots of pepper, and add the torn basil leaves at the end. Finish with another good drizzle of olive oil.

Beef, pea & zucchini

Makes 38 meatballs

Basic and foolproof, this excellent beef ball recipe works every time. It can be made in advance and served days later by reheating the cooked meatballs in a baking tray in the oven covered in foil. The grated zucchini keeps the moisture in the meatball – try using it in other recipes for the same effect.

150g frozen baby peas
ice cubes
1 kg minced beef
2 small zucchini, grated
125g finely grated parmesan cheese
½ white onion, finely diced
30g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 whole egg, plus 1 egg yolk
vegetable oil, for frying
olive oil spray, for baking

Cook the peas in lightly salted boiling water in a saucepan over high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the peas are cooked and tender. Then place them into an ice bath to stop them cooking.

In a large mixing bowl, season the beef with salt and pepper. Use your hands to combine the beef with all the remaining ingredients (including the chilled peas). Roll the mixture into 50g balls and place on a tray. Set the balls aside to cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Pour some vegetable oil into a deep frying pan until it's about 1-3 cm deep, and place over medium-high heat. Introduce the meatballs a few at a time. They should start to sizzle on contact. Cook the meatballs on one side for about 3-4 minutes before rolling them over to the other side to cook for another 3-4 minutes. This will form a nice brown crust around the entire meatball.

Remove the meatballs from the oil and strain on paper towel. Spray a baking tray with olive oil and carefully place the meatballs in the tray. Bake in the dry oven for 8 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Pea, mint & ricotta salad

Serves 4

This simple, fresh dish is perfect to accompany any of your meatballs. This works particularly well with any chicken-based meatball. You can substitute the air-dried ricotta for any style of your preferred cheese.

500g fresh, shelled peas (you can also use frozen)
10 mint leaves, torn
100g dried ricotta cheese, crumbled
120g mixed lettuce leaves – radicchio, cos (romaine), lamb's lettuce (corn salad)

Vinaigrette:

15ml chardonnay vinegar (or good-quality white wine vinegar)
juice of ½ lemon
80ml extra virgin olive oil

Blanch the peas in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes, then refresh in an ice bath. Strain the peas. To make the vinaigrette, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil thoroughly in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add all the ingredients into a serving dish and toss.

* Meatballs: The ultimate guide, by Matteo Bruno. (Murdoch Books, $35.)