Pork meatballs with tomatoes

Serves 6–8

Ingredients:

3 large onions, finely diced

2 1⁄4lb (1kg) lean ground pork

handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp dried thyme

2 eggs

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 large beefsteak tomatoes

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp dried oregano

Method:

1 Put the onions, ground pork, parsley, cayenne, thyme, eggs, and flour in a mixing bowl, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then mix together with your hands for 5 minutes, or until you have a chunky paste. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm the mixture a little. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

2 Take handfuls of the mixture and roll into balls about 2in (5cm) in diameter, making approximately 24 balls. Place them in a large nonstick baking pan. Cut the tomatoes in half and place them skin-side down with the meatballs, so each meatball is in between tomatoes. Drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the oregano, then cover the tray with foil.

3 Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. Serve with crusty bread and salad.

Pork meatballs with tomatoes