Tapas Style Aberdeen Angus Meatballs, Herby Red Wine Marinara, Pecorino, Basil

One of my all-time favourite tapas dishes, get this right and you've got a winner, which your friends and family will ask for time and time again. Succulent beef meatballs, in the most amazing garlicy, herby marinara with a hint of red wine, nutty & salty Pecorino and fresh basil complement perfectly this Tapas dish. You can use pre-made meatballs, or make your own with my recipe below.

Ingredients Aberdeen Angus Beef Meatballs:

1. Olive Oil

2. 2 x cloves of garlic

3. 500g Aberdeen Angus beef mince

4. Italian Herbs (dried)

5. Oregano (dried)

6. 1 x free-range egg, beaten

7. Rock salt and black pepper

Ingredients Herby Red Wine Marinara & Garnish:

1. Pecorino Cheese (not pre-grated!)

2. Fresh Basil

3. Olive Oil

4. 4 x cloves of garlic

5. Italian Herbs (dried)

6. Oregano (dried)

7. Dark soy sauce

8. Worcestershire sauce

9. Beef stock cube / Beef stockpot

10. 400g Passata

11. 400g Chopped Tomatoes

12. Splash of Red Wine

13. Rock salt and black pepper

Method - Aberdeen Angus Beef Meatballs:

Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan over a gentle heat and add 2 finely sliced garlic cloves, sweat these down for a few minutes and until soft and a little golden. Do not burn the garlic!. Allow to cool.

In a bowl, mix the minced Aberdeen Angus beef with the cold sweated garlic. Add 1 tbsp of oregano and a tbsp of Italian herbs and the beaten egg. Season the mixture with rock salt and black pepper. You can fry a tiny bit of the mixture, to check the seasoning and adjust if needed. Once your happy with the seasoning, pop the mixture in the fridge to set a little then, divide the mixture into approximately 24 round balls. Cover the meatballs and refrigerate them until required.

To cook, pan fry in a little olive or rapeseed oil for around 8-10 mins, drain the excess fat, then finish in the oven for around 6-8 mins on 180c. Finally, pop into the marinara as below and serve!

Method - Herby Red Wine Marinara:

Heat up a little olive oil in a saucepan on a medium heat, into that add 4 chopped garlic cloves, a tbsp of oregano and a tbsp of Italian herbs. Fry this for 1-2 mins, ensuring the herbs and the garlic don't burn! Once starting to lightly colour add in a splash of Red Wine, your tomato passata, chopped tomatoes, a splash of dark soy sauce and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Bring this to a boil and turn it down to a medium heat.

The sauce should now be lightly simmering, add to this half of the beef stock pot/stock cube another tbsp of oregano and a tbsp of Italian herbs, a good handful of freshly chopped basil, and give it a good season of rock salt and black pepper. Check the taste and seasoning, and now reduce this down on a medium / low heat for 30 - 35 mins.

Once the time is up, add your cooked beef meatballs to the Marinara sauce, simmer for 10 mins and serve garnishing with freshly grated Pecorino cheese and freshly chopped basil.