What a Load of Balls!

The best balls of all... today is National Meatball Day

"Take heart and do not doubt that you shall find someone who wants to taste you and who might even reward you with a smile.”

The words of Pellegrino Artusi, the father of Italian cuisine, and a fitting opening for today’s declaration & appreciation of meatballs.

These little nuggets of euphoria are nurtured the globe over. Shared by both the Lady and the Tramp, brought into being by the Princes of Persia, iconised by Ikea, and immortalised by Italians, the meatball’s legacy amongst crowd & continent has stood the test of time.

When did a pounding of beef or veal become such a symbol of love, hope & unity?

The Romans, rivalled only by the Greeks in their stature, may have another exploit to add to their legacy: the majestic meatball, alongside the calendar, without which, today, we wouldn’t be exalting this ball of meat.

Spaghetti e Meatballs! Rather ‘Polpette’. And ditch the spaghetti whilst you’re at it. An American attribute, smothered in ‘Sailor Sauce’, or in Neapolitan tongue, ‘Marinara’. Pasta is for primi, and polpette are for seconds (or as a sinful snack).

And woe betide he who forgets Scandinavia in his tributes. It is now perfectly commonplace to head for the home-ware powerhouse, not to purchase another flat-pack bookcase, but for a taste of ‘The IKEA Meatballs’, an icon in their own right, second only to their pencils.

Walt Disney’s famous scene at Tony’s Restaurant reminds us that “there is no love sincerer than the love of food”. Whilst Dating in a Dash may get my blood circulating, a bowl of meatballs will ensure my heart races for all the right reasons.

“Don’t think I’m pretentious enough to tell you how to make meatballs”.

With Artusi’s words ringing, I blush shades of embarrassment as I present to you a recipe. “Everybody knows how to make it, including absolute donkeys” yet they never dabbled with dairy; & Taleggio, at its most specific.

Pork, Fennel & Taleggio-filled Meatballs

🍲 Serves: 4 (12 meatballs)

Ingredients

500g Pork Mince 8 cream crackers 2 tsp fennel seeds 1/8 tsp chilli flakes Salt & pepper 50g Taleggio (I should have been more generous, so maybe opt for more)

Method

1. Squelch it all together into equal-sized balls.

2. Make little dips in your balls, insert the Taleggio, and cover up the evidence.

In the meantime, make your 'Sugo al Pomodoro'

Sugo al Pomodoro da Luigi

Long have I been in awe at the depth of flavour Italians can get from such simple ingredients. My failure to ever produce a rich tomato sauce was due to poor ingredients, rather than my inability... or was it? On watching Luigi, a Neapolitan chef make a tomato sauce from my very same ingredients, I quickly lost that scapegoat. So, I followed the principles I observed: good quality tinned chopped tomatoes, (and LOTS of) extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and fresh basil. And I can never resist garlic.