Photo: Meatballs in BBQ Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
For the gravy:
- 1 pound bacon, sliced into lardons
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 glasses Chianti
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 1 small can chipotle peppers in adobo
- 3 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
- Sea salt, preferable grey
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan, freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil leaves
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup fine dried bread crumbs
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Sea salt, preferably grey
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup water
Directions
Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat for 1 minute. When the oil is hot, add the bacon and render. When golden brown and beginning to crisp, add minced carrot, celery, onion, and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and saute vegetables to a light brown. Add rosemary and brown sugar and stir. Add Chianti and vinegar to pot, stir and bring to boil. Add the tomato paste, chipotles in adobo, and the chopped tomatoes. Stir and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, skimming the top occasionally to remove any scum that forms.
While the BBQ gravy is simmering, make the meatballs:
In a large bowl, mix together the meat, egg, Worcestershire, cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, onion, bread crumbs, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup of water. Knead the water into the meat mixture with your hands. Knead and roll meatballs into about 1 1/2-inch balls. Place them in shallow saucepan on stove, add another 1/2 cup of water over them, and cover. Turn heat to medium, and steam for 35 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs from the pan. Drain the juice out of the bottom of the pan, return the meatballs to it and cover them with warm BBQ gravy. Serve on top of Grilled Spaghetti.
Chef's Notes: Serve the BBQ meatballs with grilled spaghetti for a new smoky twist on spaghetti and meatballs.
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By torba97_12904148
Fremont, CA
on February 03, 2011
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Meatball recipe...delicious! Regardless of sauce, use this recipe for meatballs AND meatloaf. Terrific! Annie, Milpitas, CA
By lolalina
glen burnie, MD
on June 04, 2010
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I love everything really spicy. I love this recipe for a change up in spaghetti. The BBQ flavor is definitely on target.
When i read through the recipe I knew there was no way I was using an entire can of peppers. I use chipotles all the time and know how hot they are!
I use 2-3 peppers with 1-2 T. of the adobo sauce (depending who will be at the table. 3 peppers make it really hot. The meatballs are great! Sometimes i make a meatball sub with the leftovers. YUM!
Give it a try adding one pepper at a time or even just a tablespoon of the sauce.
By gkenos_3827639
West Roxbury, MA
on April 11, 2010
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I have always trusted Michael Chiarello"s recipes and have many in my regular line-up, but there must have been a mistake here. A WHOLE can of chipotles in adobo sauce, is way too much! Maybe it would have been better with 1 chile, but a whole can is ridiculous! We ate it the 1st night and couldn't stop blowing our noses. Way too hot. The second night I ate around the sauce. Then, rather than throw it out, I offered the remainder to my son to take home, with a warning. Threw the recipe out. The meatballs were good though..... Sorry Michael....
Read all 6 reviews