Virtual cook-along
Join Chef Pete Goffe-Wood, the Chief Culinary Alchemist on the FIRE for Life team, as we have fun and cook up a virtual storm here on this page:
- THURSDAY 23 JULY 2026
- 18:00 – 19:00 (Southern African Time: UTC +2h
Print the recipe, source the ingredients, then join us live from your kitchen on the following Zoom link:
Slow Cooked Italian Style Meatballs with Bacon, Tomato & Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 500 g Beef mince
- 1 pinch Dried basil
- 1 pinch Dried sage
- ½ cup Yoghurt, plain, full fat
- 2 Eggs
- 50 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- 100 g Streaky bacon, diced
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tins Peeled tomatoes
- 1 cup Red wine
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 10 g Fresh basil
- 1 head Cauliflower, grated
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Slow Cooked Italian Style Meatballs instructions
- Put the mince in a mixing bowl together with the dried herbs, yoghurt and eggs. Season with salt and pepper and mix, by hand, until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Taste the mince and adjust the seasoning according to taste, you cannot add salt to the meatballs once they are cooked. Leave the mixture to rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the diced bacon, fry for two minutes before adding the chopped onions, followed by the chopped garlic.
- Fry over a medium heat until they begin to colour, then add the tins of peeled tomato, red wine and bring the mixture to the boil. Then reduce the heat so that the tomato mixture is at a slow simmer.
- Roll the mince into small balls (golf ball size) and then place them, one by one in the simmering tomato mixture. Ideally your pan should be big enough to accommodate all of the meatballs in a single layer.
- Let the meatballs slowly bubble away on a reduced heat for about 45 minutes. Stir on regular intervals so the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. By now your meatballs will be cooked and your sauce will have thickened nicely. Taste the tomato sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the frying pan from the heat.
- Garnish the meatballs with the grated Parmesan and torn basil leaves.
- Serve with Cauliflower rice.
Cauliflower Rice instructions
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan, add the grated cauliflower and fry for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
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Hope you enjoy this!