**Sorry, I just had to title it that. These are my cousin Johnnie's yummy meatballs and my gravy.
Gravy - Spagetti Sauce if you're not from Boston
3 - 28oz tins kitchen ready tomatoes
1/2 small tin of tomato paste or about 1/2 tube.
1 large onion, diced
4 - 5 cloves garlic minced fairly small
1 TBS dried basil
1/2 TBS dried thyme
1/2 TBS garlic powder
1 TSP salt
1 packet splenda (if avoiding sugar) or 1 TBS sugar
olive oil for pan
ground pepper
water/chicken stock/wine
In a heavy bottomed, non-reactive pot large enough to cook the gravy and later the added meatballs, saute the chopped onion in olive oil until it starts to soften and then add minced garlic, saute further until everyone is soft. Don't brown. When ready add the 3 tins of tomatoes. I usually run a little water into each tin and swirl around to get all the bits and add this to the pot as well.
Then add basil, thyme, garlic powder (if using), salt, pepper, splenda or sugar.
Stir well and bring this to a simmer, that is a few volcanos at a time, not a rolling boil. Be careful as gravy and polenta are like napalm on your skin. Leave the lid ajar to let out a bit of the evaporated moisture, but on enough to still be able to capture spatters.* Cook for 1 hour, stirring frequently. Add either chicken stock, wine or water to thin it out a bit maybe 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup and then cook 1 more hour. You can shut it off and cool it at this point if you are going to use it later.
The balls
1.5 pds ground beef
2 eggs
3 - 4 TBS bread crumbs
3 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 small onion diced fine
Lots of FRESH grated parmesan. Approx 1/3 - 1/2 cup.**
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to preferance
The key now is to not handle it to much, that will make your meatballs tough. Squish everything together, fingers work best, until blended and no more. Take a quantity of the mixture in your hand and roll around to make balls that are about 2 inches in diameter.
When all the balls are made, heat a heavy bottomed saute pan with either olive oil or render some chopped up pancetta. Add meatballs in batches so they are not crowded and saute until lightly brown on all sides, not very long on each side. As each one finishes, plop them in the gravy, this is where they will finish cooking. (Johnnie on the other hand skips this step and puts them right in the sauce to cook, no browning. *8 I have found that I prefer this method as well. The meatball absorbs the sauce taste and vice versa - very good. I suggest trying this way at least once)
Simmer in gravy for an hour and check one to see how it looks. Be careful when you stir so you don't break up the meatballs.
*Put a little plate on the counter with a piece of bread on it. Use this to rest the spoon on after each stir of the gravy. That is one yummy piece of bread by the time you are done!
** The quantity is vague because it really depends on how fine you grate your cheese.
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