Turkey and Oregano Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Thirty meatballs braised low in a simple tomato sauce, portioned into six. Freezes better than almost anything else here.
Why it works
Turkey thigh rather than breast is the choice that makes this survive the freezer. Breast meat is so lean it dries into something unpleasant on reheating, while thigh keeps enough fat to stay tender through a freeze and a thaw. Braising the meatballs in the sauce instead of frying them first does two things: the meat stays moist because it never gets hotter than the liquid around it, and the sauce picks up flavour from the meat as it goes. Grated courgette in the mix is a quiet trick, adding moisture and a full serving of vegetable that nobody at the table will clock. At 32 grams of protein a portion, this clears the muscle-building threshold in one bowl.
About 30 g of protein a meal is the established threshold for the muscle-building response in adults. Tomato lycopene becomes more available with both cooking and fat.
Ingredients
- 700 g turkey thigh mince
- 1 courgette, coarsely grated and squeezed dry
- 1 egg
- 50 g fine breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 × 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A handful of basil, and grated parmesan to serve
Method
- Mix the mince, squeezed courgette, egg, breadcrumbs, oregano, and half the garlic. Handle it as little as possible; overworking mince makes meatballs bouncy.
- Roll into about thirty walnut-sized balls and chill them for fifteen minutes so they hold together.
- Warm the oil in a wide pan, soften the onion for eight minutes, add the remaining garlic for a minute, then the tomatoes. Simmer for ten minutes.
- Lower the meatballs into the sauce in one layer, cover, and simmer gently for 25 minutes, turning once. Do not let it boil.
- Tear basil over. Portion the meatballs with plenty of sauce, which is what protects them in the freezer.
