Meatballs in Homemade Tomato Sauce
Meatballs that stay soft instead of turning firm, and the reason has a name: the panade — breadcrumbs soaked in milk before they meet the meat. The trapped water keeps the balls juicy as they cook.
The second point matters just as much and is the one people skip: mix only until it comes together. Working the mixture like a dough toughens the protein and gives you rubbery meatballs. The vegetarian version are the ricotta balls in spinach sauce.
Ingredients
- 600 g ground beef (beef mince), 15-20 % fat for juiciness
- 100 g breadcrumbs or panko (about 1 cup)
- 125 ml milk (1/2 cup)
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion, very finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- Fresh parsley, chopped, to taste
- Salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg
- For the sauce: 800 g crushed tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, olive oil, fresh basil
Method
- 1
The panade (the key step): mix the breadcrumbs with the milk in a bowl and leave them for 5 minutes to swell. This is the secret to meatballs that do not come out hard and dry.
- 2
Mixing: in a second bowl, combine the ground beef with the egg, the onion, the garlic, the parsley and the soaked breadcrumbs. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix only until it comes together — knead it any longer and the meat turns rubbery.
- 3
Shaping: with lightly dampened hands, roll balls the size of a large walnut. Turn them lightly in a little flour so they brown better.
- 4
Browning: in a pan with a little olive oil, brown the meatballs over medium-high heat until they have colour all over. They are not meant to cook through here — this is only about the protective crust.
- 5
Finishing in the sauce: take the meatballs out. In the same pan, soften the onion and garlic briefly, add the crushed tomatoes and let it cook down for 10 minutes. Return the meatballs to the sauce and finish over low heat for another 15 minutes. Scatter with fresh basil to serve.