Food glossary

Meatballs

Meatballs

A popular way of serving minced or ground meat in many countries, meatballs are small rounds of meat, usually beef, pork or lamb, flavoured with a variety of ingredients such as herbs, onion, garlic, chilli and spices. Waitrose sell a selection of meatballs including Aberdeen Angus meatballs with spaghetti - 6 spicy meatballs in a tomato sauce on a bed of spaghetti which simply need reheating and Aberdeen Angus meatballs which need cooking.

Uses: Meatballs can be served as a main course or starter. Serve with mashed potato, pasta or crusty bread and a tomato sauce or rich gravy.

To store: Keep in the fridge in the original wrapping or in a covered container, and keep raw meatballs below and away from cooked foods and any ready to eat food. Store until the use by date. To freeze, freeze on the day of purchase for up to 1 month. To defrost, remove from the original packaging and place on a plate or tray and cover. Defrost thoroughly, place raw meatballs in the bottom of the fridge, below and away from cooked foods and any ready to eat food, before cooking. Never re-freeze raw meat that has been frozen and then thawed. Wash work surfaces, chopping boards, utensils and hands thoroughly after touching raw meat.

To cook: Waitrose recommend beef should be thoroughly cooked. To cook raw meatballs, place the meatballs in a non-stick frying pan and cook for 5-6 minutes or until brown, transfer to an ovenproof dish and cook in a preheated oven at 200°C, gas mark 6 for 12-15 minutes. The meatballs can also be barbecued, place on skewers and barbecue for 10-12 minutes, or until the juices run clear and there is no pink meat, turning frequently. Take extra care when barbecuing. Do not reheat once cooked. To reheat Aberdeen Angus meatballs with spaghetti, bake in a preheated oven at 200°C, gas mark 6 for 45 minutes or until piping hot. Do not reheat once cooked.