Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Sweet and sour meatballs have long been a family favourite for good reason. This recipe, originally contributed by Wendy Tully to the Tully Family Cookbook, brings together tender homemade beef meatballs with a colourful sweet and sour sauce filled with vegetables and pineapple. It’s the sort of comforting meal that feels right at home on the family dinner table, combining familiar ingredients with classic Australian flavours that were popular for entertaining and weeknight meals alike. Carefully modernised for today’s kitchens, it’s an easy recipe that’s sure to become a favourite with a new generation.
Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Course: DinnerCuisine: AustralianDifficulty: Medium4
servings25
minutes30
minutes495
kcalThese classic sweet and sour meatballs combine tender homemade beef meatballs with a rich pineapple and vegetable sauce for an easy family dinner.
Ingredients
- Meatballs
680 g beef mince
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
30 g butter
- Sweet & Sour Sauce
30 g butter
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, sliced
1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced
425 g can pineapple pieces, drained (reserve the juice)
125 ml water
1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
Directions
- Meatballs
- Place the beef mince, finely chopped onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper into a large bowl and mix until well combined.
- Roll the mixture into meatballs approximately 2.5 cm in diameter.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the meatballs until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Melt the butter in the same pan and cook the carrots and sliced onion for 3–4 minutes until beginning to soften.
- Add the cucumber and cook for another minute.
- Mix the cornflour with the water until smooth.
- Stir in the soy sauce, tomato sauce, reserved pineapple juice and crumbled stock cube. Add the cornflour mixture and cook, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens and comes to the boil.
- Return the meatballs to the pan, add the pineapple pieces and gently stir to coat.
- Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through. Season to taste and serve with steamed rice or buttered noodles.
Kitchen Notes
- Contains gluten (Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and stock cube unless gluten-free varieties are used).
Contains dairy (butter).
Original Cookbook Recipe
SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS
INGREDIENTS
MEATBALLS
1 and half pound minced steak
1 medium onion
salt and Pepper
1 dessertsp Worcestershire sauce
2 oz butter
SAUCE
1 oz butter
2 medium carrots
1 onion
1 cucumber
15oz can pineapple pieces
salt and Pepper
1half cup water
1 chicken stock cube
1 tablesp cornflour
1 tablesp soy sauce
2 tablesp tomato sauce
METHOD:
MEATBALLS:
Combine minced steak, finely chopped onion, salt, Pepper, curry powder and Worcestershire sauce in mixing bowl, mix well together. Shape into small balls, 1 inch in diameter. Saute in hot butter until brown, shaking Pan occasionally to keep meatballs round in shape. Remove from Pan.
SAUCE:
Peel carrots, cut into small thin strips. Slice onion into rings. Drain pineapple, reserve syrup. Dice cucumber. Saute carrots and onion a few minutes in hot butter. Blend cornflour with water. Add to vegetables with soy and tomato sauce, reserved pineapple syrup and crumbled stock cube, stir until sauce boils and thickens. Return meatballs to Pan with pineapple pieces and cucumber. Simmer, covered 10 mins. Season with salt and Pepper. Serves 4