I completely forgot to take photos of this wonderful meatball dish that I made yesterday evening out of ground beef that was lying in our freezer. I was skeptical that it would taste great (remember the tough hockey meat pucks with sweet tomato sauce?), but it had a nice crust, a delicious tomato-Parmesan sauce, and a nice juicy and fork-tender interior. The two secrets are (a) remember not to overmix the beef and (b) undercook the meatballs since it has to undergo a slow simmer for 20 minutes. This I think was the best meatball I have ever tasted…as of yet.
Here’s the recipe:
Slow Cooked Meatballs In Herbed Tomato Sauce
What you need:
For the meatballs, you would need (a) 1 kilo of ground beef, (b) 1 Egg, (c) 1 Large onion, diced (d) Parmesan cheese, grated, and the following seasonings to your taste: Herb de provence, Thyme, Salt, and Pepper, Sage and a dash of Balsamic vinegar.
For the tomato sauce, you would need (a) A can of whole tomatoes, (b) 1/2 cup of olive oil, (c) 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, (d) Bunch of Basil and season with salt and pepper.
How to Prepare:
1. Mix the beef with the egg, onion and seasonings. DO NOT OVERMIX. Overmixing causes the beef to become too tough. Form into balls and coat each ball with Parmesan cheese to get that brown outer crust.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil in medium heat and saute the meatballs until you form a crust. Undercook the meatballs for a couple of minutes (around medium rare). During the saute-ing process, add some rosemary springs into the pan.
3. Remove meatballs from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add the tomatoes and the juice that comes with it. Make sure to scrape any brown bits from the pan, as it contains tons of flavor and provides depth to your dish. Add 1/2 cup of water and stir in Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens.
4. Add the cooked meatballs in the pan with the omato sauce. Reduce the heat to ensure that only a few bubbles are seen from the top. Simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Before serving, remove the meatballs from the pan. For the sauce, add some chopped basil and drizzle with olive oil, similar to creating an emulsion. Drizzle sauce over meatballs and finish with more Parmesan cheese.
