Stephanie's Italian Meat Balls in Tomato Gravy.
Ingredients:
(All as fresh as you can get, please...)
For the Meatballs:
2lbs of Lean Round Ground Steak Beef Mince.
1/4 lb each of minced pork and minced lamb.
Half a cupful of grated Parmesan cheese.
The finely grated zest of a small lemon.
A tablespoon each of oregano and basil.
A tablespoon of grated garlic.
A sprinkle of salt and black pepper.
A teaspoon of tomato puree.
One beaten egg.
For the sauce:
A half pint of beef stock.
A third of a bottle of rich red wine. (I use Spanish Red.)
A large tin of chopped tomatos.
A large finely chopped Spanish onion.
Finely chopped garlic to taste.
A SPLOOT of Tomato Puree.
Basil and Oregano to taste.
Method:
Mix the FUCK out of the meatball mixture and form into little golf-ball sized meatballs. Place in a refrigerator to chill.
Fry off the chopped onion and garlic in Olive Oil and Butter until JUST browned. Add to gravy pot. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, stir and allow to simmer.
IN THE SAME FRYING PAN...
Add extra olive oil and in groups of five or six, brown the meatballs in the oil turning frequently. As each batch browns, transfer to the simmering sauce. Add more oil if necessary and continue until all meatballs are done.
Lower temperature on the hob and simmer for AT LEAST one hour.
Serve sauce and meatballs over lightly salted fresh pasta which has been tossed before serving in olive oil and a tablespoon of butter.
Accompany the dish with FRESH crusty white buttered bread.
(I often add to this dish chopped mushrooms which have been cooked off in a microwave with lemon juice, salt and black pepper... Just add the mix to the gravy and stir before serving.)
Wine? A Rich Barolo if you can afford it or otherwise a Spanish Rijoca, preferably Catalan.
Serves Eight. (Four meatballs each with four left over for greedy people!!!)
(Total cost, Not Including drinking wine, about $40 or $5 dollars each!!!!!)
xx SF
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Stephanie's Italian Meat Balls in Tomato Gravy.
Buxom Enigma
Oh now this sounds divine! I do know what I'll be making for New Years dinner!
"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." -E.L. Doctorow
Buxom Enigma
Quote by stephanie
You've always loved my balls...
xx SF
I have! And after all this time, I'll finally get to taste them...
"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." -E.L. Doctorow
Matriarch
I looked at the poster's name, and thought to myself, oh god, he's going to make a mockery of this new forum, and post this:
How pleasantly surprised I was.
You don't add any breadcrumbs to the meatball mixture? I've always done that, as I was told it's what makes them more tender. I'll do a split test next time, see for myself if it's true.
I also like to add a splash of worcestershire sauce in the meat mix.
How pleasantly surprised I was.
You don't add any breadcrumbs to the meatball mixture? I've always done that, as I was told it's what makes them more tender. I'll do a split test next time, see for myself if it's true.
I also like to add a splash of worcestershire sauce in the meat mix.
Buxom Enigma
Quote by nicola
You don't add any breadcrumbs to the meatball mixture? I've always done that, as I was told it's what makes them more tender. I'll do a split test next time, see for myself if it's true.
I also like to add a splash of worcestershire sauce in the meat mix.
The Parmesan cheese acts as the bonding agent in lieu of the breadcrumbs; I've done the same thing on many occasions, or done a mixture of both if I didn't have enough of either, or just to mix it up a little!
I use Worchestershire sauce in most of my meat mixes, or teriyaki in my burgers.
"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." -E.L. Doctorow
Head Nurse
I like to add cracker(saltines) crumbs soaked in a bit of buttermilk. The buttermilk works as a tenderizing agent and the bread crumbs act as a bonding agent. I also prefer chicken stock as opposed to beef in the marinara. It's my opinion that beef stock can add a bitter taste whereas chicken adds richness 
For large quantities I prefer to brown them on sheets in the oven to promote even browning, and free up stove space.
For large quantities I prefer to brown them on sheets in the oven to promote even browning, and free up stove space.
Quote by nicola
You don't add any breadcrumbs to the meatball mixture? I've always done that, as I was told it's what makes them more tender. I'll do a split test next time, see for myself if it's true.
I also like to add a splash of worcestershire sauce in the meat mix.
You are ABSOLUTELY correct! (I forgot to say "add a cupful of breadcrumbs to the meatball mixture."
Otherwise, as you state, the meatballs can be a little tough...
xx Steph
Quote by naughtynurse
I like to add cracker(saltines) crumbs soaked in a bit of buttermilk. The buttermilk works as a tenderizing agent and the bread crumbs act as a bonding agent. I also prefer chicken stock as opposed to beef in the marinara. It's my opinion that beef stock can add a bitter taste whereas chicken adds richness
For large quantities I prefer to brown them on sheets in the oven to promote even browning, and free up stove space.
This also sounds like good sense to me. I shall try these suggestions.
xx Steph
Empress of the Moon
I've gathered all the ingredients and will be making the meatballs later in the week. I have no idea how to cook off mushrooms in a microwave. Can I just do them in a pan? If I hadn't read all the posts because of my OCD I would have missed the part about the breadcrumbs. Can you edit this and put that in the original post so that some poor innocent person doesn't try making them without the breadcrumbs? What's the best pasta to use?
Cooking them in an oven is a great idea. This will save time which I can later devote to my mad schemes for world conquest. My mom soaked her crumbs in regular milk when she made meatballs or meat loaf. I have no idea why.
Quote by naughtynurse
I like to add cracker(saltines) crumbs soaked in a bit of buttermilk. The buttermilk works as a tenderizing agent and the bread crumbs act as a bonding agent. I also prefer chicken stock as opposed to beef in the marinara. It's my opinion that beef stock can add a bitter taste whereas chicken adds richness
For large quantities I prefer to brown them on sheets in the oven to promote even browning, and free up stove space.
Cooking them in an oven is a great idea. This will save time which I can later devote to my mad schemes for world conquest. My mom soaked her crumbs in regular milk when she made meatballs or meat loaf. I have no idea why.
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Scarlet Seductress
I've been dreaming about Steph's balls all week. I'll have to try them this weekend.
Head Nurse
Quote by Ruthie
I've gathered all the ingredients and will be making the meatballs later in the week.
Cooking them in an oven is a great idea. This will save time which I can later devote to my mad schemes for world conquest. My mom soaked her crumbs in regular milk when she made meatballs or meat loaf. I have no idea why.
Milk enzymes are acidic and help start the process of breaking down the proteins in the meat, this makes them more tender. Proteins are tightly woven coils of amino acids. When they are cooked, strongly beaten, or exposed to acids they start to denature or uncoil.
Egg whites are basically protein and water, when you cook them or beat them you can see the effects of denaturing.