Braised Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Beef and pork meatballs browned hard, then finished low in a garlicky tomato sauce until a spoon is all you need to cut them.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Written
Method
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Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until soft, about 5 minutes.
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Mix the soaked breadcrumbs with the beef, pork, egg, Parmesan, minced garlic, salt, and pepper by hand until just combined.
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Roll into 16 meatballs, about 2 inches each.
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Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high and brown the meatballs on all sides, working in batches; transfer to a plate.
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Add the onion and sliced garlic to the same pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, then simmer until it’s mostly reduced, about 3 minutes.
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Add the crushed tomatoes and basil, bring to a simmer, and nestle the meatballs back into the sauce.
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Cover partially and simmer on low until the meatballs are tender and the sauce has thickened, about 45 minutes.
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Discard the basil sprig and taste the sauce for salt.
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Top with Parmesan and parsley to serve.
Notes
Browning is for flavor here, not for cooking through — the meatballs finish in the sauce, which is what keeps them tender instead of dry. Milk-soaked breadcrumbs do the same job: they hold water in the mix so a lean cut like beef doesn’t turn dense.
Good over polenta or a wide pasta, but also good with nothing but bread to drag through the sauce. Like most braises, it’s better the next day once the sauce has had a night to settle into the meat.