Slow-Braised American-Italian Meatballs

Meatballs may not be the height of sophistication, but DAMN they can be made so tasty! Here’s our recipe, including a few additions to ensure the most savoury, tender, meaty meatballs you have ever tried. Don’t skimp on the oil, it really enrichens the dish – you can skim a little off at the end if you like. 

Ingredients

For the meatballs

650g minced beef, 15-20% fat

1 tsp fine salt

35g finely grated parmesan 

35g dried breadcrumbs (we used ready-made)

Olive oil for shallow frying

For the sauce

4 tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 tbsp Spice Kitchen Italian Blend

2 tins good quality tomatoes

300ml chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

First, start the sauce

Place a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil, and once warmed, add the garlic and gently fry for 1-2 minutes, until softened. 

Add the Spice Kitchen Italian blend, stir well until fragrant (around 30 seconds), then add the tomatoes. Let this gentle bubble while you make the meatballs – the aim is to reduce the tomatoes to a rich sauce which concentrates their flavour. 

To create the meatballs

Place the beef into a large mixing bowl and add the fine salt. Mix really well with your hands, squishing aggressively for 3-4 minutes – this process helps the meatballs stay together. 

Add the parmesan and breadcrumbs and mix well until thoroughly combined. 
Form into 16 large evenly-sized meatballs, or 20 smaller ones. 

Place a large, heavy-based frying pan or casserole dish over a high heat. Once it is hot, add a splash of olive oil, then add half the meatballs to fry (ensure they do not crowd the pan otherwise they won’t caramelise properly). Sear the meatballs on all sides – you want to form a dark, tasty crust but not cook the middle, then remove from the pan. Fry the remaining meatballs. 

To finish cooking

Add all the meatballs back to the pan and add the sauce. Add chicken stock until the meatballs are just covered, then add a lid and let them braise slowly for 1 hour.

Remove the lid, taste for seasoning and adjust, and if you would like to / need to reduce the liquid, simmer a while longer with the lid off.

Let the dish rest off the heat for 10 minutes before serving.