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Braised meatballs

A hearty entree that combines three meats and a luscious home made sauce. My twist on a classic meatball dish.
Servings 4
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Equipment

  • Large saucepan
  • Immersion blender or blender
  • mixing bowl
  • cutting board
  • knife

Ingredients

Ingredients for the meatballs

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb combined ground pork and ground chicken
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3-4 sprigs of parsley, chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients for the home made sauce

  • 6 lb tomatoes (I used a combination of plum, or San Marzano, and heirloom)
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 small bunch of fresh basil, chopped
  • 3 anchovies, drained of the oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil to coat the saucepan
  • salt & pepper to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Instructions for the tomato sauce

  • Gather your ingredients.
  • Wash the tomatoes, halve them, squeeze them and chop them.
  • In a large saucepan, heat the oil at medium heat and sautee the onion and the anchovies.
  • Cook till the anchovies have dissolved, making sure to keep stirring to prevent sticking or burning.
  • Add the tomatoes, basil and a couple of dashes of salt and a little pepper. Cook on simmer for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. 
  • Blend the sauce with an immersion blender or a blender. Use the sauce immediately with the meatballs. You may place the unused sauce in jars. It will freeze well.  

Instructions for the meatballs

  • Gather your ingredients.
  • Remove the meat from the fridge a half hour prior to making the meatballs and bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven @ 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine the meat with the other ingredients. Mix to combine. 
  • Form balls the size of a golf ball and place on an ungreased baking sheet. 
  • Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until browned on the outside. 
  • Remove the meatballs from the oven and place in the saucepan with the tomato sauce. Cook for an additional 30 minutes or even a little longer for a deeper flavor. 
Author: Rebecca
Calories: 3920kcal
Cost: $$
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: braised meat, fresh tomato sauce, hearthy food, homemade dressing, homemade tomato sauce, meatball recipe, meatballs, red sauce, slow food

Nutrition

Serving: 8g | Calories: 3920kcal | Carbohydrates: 186g | Protein: 228g | Fat: 255g | Saturated Fat: 91g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 113g | Trans Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 1051mg | Sodium: 3172mg | Potassium: 9643mg | Fiber: 38g | Sugar: 81g | Vitamin A: 24108IU | Vitamin C: 390mg | Calcium: 1351mg | Iron: 27mg