Meetball Your Expectations
Rustic Ground Beef Meatballs Simmered in Tomato-Garlic Sauce
55 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerItalianGluten-freeNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
Classic Italian comfort meets hands-on science: learn the art of rustic meatball shaping and why gentle simmering coaxes bold flavor from humble ingredients. This is your nonna’s polpette, only you made it yourself (and she’ll approve).
Equipment needed
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
- 02Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let the sauce burble gently while you make the meatballs.
- 03In a small bowl, soak the torn Italian bread in the milk until it’s fully saturated, about 2 minutes. Mash into a rough paste with a fork.
- 04In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, soaked bread mixture, egg, parmesan, parsley, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Do not overwork.
- 05With damp hands, shape the mixture into 12 rustic meatballs, about the size of golf balls.
- 06Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until golden all over but not cooked through, 5–7 minutes per batch. Do not overcrowd.
- 07Transfer browned meatballs to the simmering tomato-garlic sauce. Gently nestle them in, cover, and let simmer over low heat for 25 minutes until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is thickened.
- 08Taste and adjust salt or pepper if needed. Sprinkle with extra parsley and parmesan before serving.
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