Porcupine meatballs are a classic dish that originated during the Great Depression, offering a simple yet delicious meal. The rice that sticks out while cooking gives them their unique name. This version comes with a few tweaks to make them even more flavorful, and it’s so easy to make. Here’s how you can prepare them:
Ingredients:
- 500g beef mince
- 1/3 cup soft white breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup short grain rice (higher starch content for a creamy sauce)
- 1 medium grated onion
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- 420g can tomato soup
- 1 can of water (from the tomato soup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 2 small bay leaves (or 1 large)
- 2 small pieces of lemon peel (avoid the white pith)
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine the beef mince, breadcrumbs, rice, grated onion, parsley, salt, pepper, and egg. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
- Grease a casserole dish with butter and shape the mixture into meatballs, about the size of a large walnut. Place the meatballs side by side in the dish.
- For the sauce, in the same bowl, combine the tomato soup, water, salt, pepper, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, and lemon peel. Whisk together and pour over the meatballs.
- Cover the casserole tightly with foil and bake at 160°C fan or 180°C non-fan for 1.5 hours.
- After baking, remove the foil and coat the meatballs with the sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with sugar if necessary (especially if the lemon peel was bitter).
- Increase the oven temperature to 200°C fan or 220°C non-fan. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes to brown the meatballs and thicken the sauce.
- Flip the meatballs and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, spoon the sauce over the meatballs, and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
These meatballs are great served with mashed potatoes, vegetables, or in a meatball sub. I served mine over buttered pasta, and they were delicious! Enjoy this easy and comforting dish.