SUNDAY (ALL DAY) MEATBALLS
MEATBALLS
Avocado oil
2 slices dense sourdough bread
+/- 1/2 cup WHOLE milk
1 pound QUALITY ground beef
1 LARGE egg, lightly beaten
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1/4 cup red wine
3 1/2 cups WHOLE peeled tomatoes, hand crushed by hand
1/4 cup oil packed, chopped sun dried tomatoes
1/3-1/2 cup FINELY chopped Vidalia onion
2 LARGE cloves garlic, minced
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish with oil.
- Place the bread in a small bowl and pour enough milk to soak the bread. Allow to sit 5-10 minutes.
- Add ground beef to medium bowl.
- Squeeze out excess milk out of bread and crumble bread over ground beef.
- Add egg, salt and pepper to taste.
- Grease your hand with a bit of the oil , mix the meat mixture gently and then roll meat mixture into 10-12 meatballs, placing in greased baking dish.
- Bake meatballs 10-15 minutes – just enough to crisp the outsides, but not entirely cook the insides.
SAUCE
1 tablespoon FRESH chopped parsley
1 tablespoon FRESH chopped basil
1/2 tablespoon FRESH chopped oregano
1 teaspoon FRESH chopped thyme
+/- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 pickled jalapeno slices (optional)
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Combine the wine, crushed tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, onions, garlic, seasonings to taste and pickled jalapeño if using.
- Pour sauce over meatballs.
- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and sprinkle with cheese.
- Return to oven and bake 10 minutes more until cheese is melted and golden.
- Serve over pasta and enjoy!