Meatball with Mozzarella

By tulawdog

Ingredients

• Meatballs
• 225 stale baguette, sliced
• 1/2 cup (30g) fresh basil, chopped
• 450 g ground beef
• 450 g ground pork
• 1 cup (100g) grated pecorino romano cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper
• 20 small balls of mozzarella cheese
• Sauce
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 small onions, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 910 g fresh or canned San Marzano or plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• salt and pepper
• pinch of crushed red chilies
• Assembly
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup water

Preparation

Step 1

ubmerge bread in enough cold water to thoroughly soak and then squeeze dry.



Tear into small pieces and place in large mixing bowl.



Add basil, beef, pork, pecorino, eggs, salt, and a few grindings of pepper to bowl. Mix.



Form mixture into 20 patties 2″ in diameter.



Lay a bocconcini ball on each patty and mold meat mixture around to form meatballs.



Prepare the sauce: Heat olive oil in large saucepan over low heat. Add onions and cook 10 minutes or until translucent. Turn up heat to medium, add garlic, and cook for 3 – 4 minutes or until aromatic. Add tomatoes, season well with salt and pepper and add chilies.



Simmer sauce for 20 minutes, stirring often. Puree with immersion blender.



In a deep saucepan large enough to hold meatballs and sauce, heat olive oil until hot. Brown meatballs a few at a time.



Deglaze bottom of pan with water, scraping to release bits of meat. Add tomato sauce and then meatballs. Bring to simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Serve.