Black Hide Steakhouse is an institution in Brisbane. This family-run restaurant serves some of the best steaks in Queensland. However, two of their signature dishes are in fact not steak at all – barbecue beef short ribs and Italian meatballs with basil and sugo. While the secret beef ribs recipe is locked away by Group Executive Chef Lukas McEwan, we’ve managed to get our hands on the recipe for the must-have Italian meatballs.

A shared plate of these tender Italian meatballs on a bed of rich tomato sauce and plenty of parmesan cheese will leave you and your guests extremely satisfied, mopping up every last bit of sauce with a bit of bread.

As for the beef short ribs, you’ll just have to go there and try them for yourself.

Serves: 4–6 people

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 150g of diced onions
  • 10g of chopped anchovies
  • 1g of chilli flakes
  • 1 egg
  • 80g of breadcrumbs
  • 120g of milk
  • 700g of beef mince
  • 300g of pork mince
  • 80g of parmesan
  • 20g of chopped parsley

For the Napoli sauce:

  • 1L of passata
  • 20g of basil
  • Sugar and salt to season
  • Plus extra basil and grated parmesan to serve

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/392ºF. Saute the onions for a few minutes until translucent. Add the chilli and anchovies and stir until heated through. Allow to cool.

Step 2

Soak the bread in milk for one minute, then add to a bowl with the remaining meatball ingredients, including the cooled chilli and anchovy mix.

Step 3

Mix thoroughly with your hands for five minutes. Roll into 50g balls and place onto a greased oven tray. Bake for 8 minutes.

Step 4

To make the Napoli sauce, add all of the sauce ingredients to a pot and stir on a low heat.

Step 5

Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.