Porcupine balls

A classic of Victorian cuisine entwined with family memories.

By Geoff Ellis
 
I'D NEVER heard of porcupine balls before we workshopped our Term 3 cooking schedule. Everyone who shared it had a family or childhood memory to accompany the meal so I guess it must be part of that essential Victorian cuisine. Bill said it reminded him of his Mum's cooking and Leslie said it “tasted like my childhood - in the best possible way”.
 
A lot of people used this recipe to gain confidence in the kitchen in their younger days and it has been passed through generations of many families. As we went back into lockdown it brought back fond memories of learning to cook and the friends and family who can't be with us. Dicing the onion wasn't the only cause of tears today.
 
We had most of those ingredients in the pantry so we only had to buy the mince and soup. We fed seven people for $11.50.

---

Ingredients
500g minced beef
1 cup rice
1 egg
I finely diced onion
2 cups of water
2 or 3 cans of tomato soup
1 finely chopped garlic clove

Method

1. Put the mince, rice, egg, onion and garlic into a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Roll into balls.
3. Heat water and soup in a big pot.
4. Place meatballs into the mix and lower to a simmer.
5. Cook until the rice is soft and the meat is cooked.
6. Serve with mashed potato and a veg or two.

Photos and recipe from Bass Coast Adult Learning Centre’s 'From the Pantry' cooking class, which focuses on the shared satisfaction of making simple, tasty meals that won't break the budget. ​