Meatballs
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 7 servings
- Total: 3 hr 5 min
- Prep: 45 min
- Cook: 2 hr 20 min
Ingredients
1 pound ground sirloin
1 large egg
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup fine dried bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
Grey salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
Red Sauce (Gravy), recipe follows
Red Sauce (Gravy):
1 pork butt or pork shoulder
Grey salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 glasses Chianti
1 small can tomato paste
4 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
Directions
- In a large bowl, mix together the meat, egg, cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, onion, bread crumbs, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the 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.
- Drain the juice out of the bottom of the pan. Cover with Red Sauce sauce, and toss with a pasta of your choice before serving, or serve as is.
Red Sauce (Gravy):
- Slice the pork into roughly 1-inch cubes, season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. When the oil is hot, add the pork and saute. When slightly brown, turn over and stir with a wooden spoon. Allow to cook for another 2 minutes, until evenly browned on all sides. Remove the pork and allow to cool in bowl, set aside.
- In same soup pot that pork was cooked in, add minced carrot, celery, onion, and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and saute vegetables to a light brown. Add rosemary and stir. Add the caramelized pork back to the vegetables in the pot and stir. Add chianti to pot, stir and bring to boil. Add the tomato paste and the chopped tomatoes. Stir and simmer for 2 hours, skimming the top occasionally of scum that forms.