Marinated meatballs

Name: Marinated meatballs - Niculina L.
Ingredients: 300 g minced meat (pork and beef) 1 egg bread crumbs (soaked in milk) parsley 2 cloves of garlic 2 tablespoons flour salt pepper vegeta parsley for sauce. a can of tomato passata a clove of garlic sal

Meat - Marinated meatballs by Niculina L. - Recipia

Marinated meatballs are made from minced meat mixed with egg, bread crumbs, flour, and spices, then fried and left to soak in tomato sauce for a few minutes. The sauce simmers separately for about 25 minutes, allowing it to thicken and develop flavor before adding the meatballs. The recipe is simple, but the meatballs should be formed small to cook well and absorb the sauce. Quick Info Total time: about 30 minutes, plus time needed for frying the meatballs Preparation time: not specified separately; includes mixing the ingredients and forming the meatballs Cooking time: about 25 minutes for the sauce and an additional 5 minutes after adding the meatballs Servings: unspecified in the original recipe Difficulty: easy Recipe type: main dish, meatballs in tomato sauce Ingredients For the meatballs 300 g minced meat, a mix of pork and beef 1 egg Bread crumbs soaked in milk; quantity not specified 2 tablespoons of flour 2 cloves of garlic Parsley, to taste Salt Pepper Vegeta Oil, for frying, in the necessary quantity for deep frying For the sauce 1 can of passata di pomodoro 1 clove of garlic 1/2 cup of water 1 tablespoon of oil Salt Pepper 1 tablespoon of sugar 1 bay leaf Thyme Oregano Preparation method 1. First, prepare the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a small pot and add the garlic clove. Sauté for about a minute on each side. Be careful not to burn it, as burnt garlic alters the taste of the sauce. 2. Pour in the passata di pomodoro and add the half cup of water. Add salt, pepper, sugar, bay leaf, thyme, and oregano. Stir and let the sauce simmer for about 25 minutes. 3. While the sauce is simmering, prepare the meatball mixture. Place the minced meat in a bowl and add the egg, bread crumbs soaked in milk, the two tablespoons of flour, garlic, and parsley. Season with salt, pepper, and Vegeta. 4. Mix all the ingredients well until you achieve a homogeneous mixture. The bread crumbs should be soaked in milk, and the flour helps bind the mixture. 5. Form small balls from the meat mixture. It is easier to cook them evenly if they are of similar sizes. 6. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the meatballs in deep oil. Turn them to brown on all sides. Since the exact quantity and duration of frying are not specified, ensure they are well browned on the outside before removing them. 7. As they are ready, remove the meatballs from the oil. Once you finish frying all of them, place them in the pot with the tomato sauce. 8. Let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for about 5 minutes. During this time, the sauce seeps into the meatballs, and the dish acquires the specific taste of marinated meatballs. Why I make the recipe often I love this recipe because it uses common ingredients and does not require complicated preparation. The sauce can be simmered while you form and fry the meatballs, which helps shorten the time spent in the kitchen. Additionally, the meatballs can be made in larger quantities and served the next day when the sauce is well absorbed by the meat. Tips and variations Tips Form small meatballs, not too big. They fry easier and heat well during the five minutes spent in the sauce. Do not let the garlic sauté too long. The recipe uses a little oil, and the garlic stays about a minute on each side, just enough to flavor the oil without burning. The sauce should be simmered for about 25 minutes before adding the meatballs. Do not skip this step, as the sauce needs time to cook and thicken. The quantity of bread crumbs is not specified, so add it according to the mixture, without overloading it. It should bind but still be easy to shape. Substitutions Passata di pomodoro can be replaced with a simple tomato sauce if it has a similar consistency. The exact quantity of a can of passata is not specified in the original recipe, so it is preferable to maintain the proportion to the half cup of water. The meat is indicated as a mix of pork and beef. If you use another type of meat, the recipe will not have the exact same texture, especially after frying. The bread crumbs are soaked in milk. No alternative is indicated in the original recipe, so this can be kept as is to respect the dish. Vegeta can be omitted if you prefer to use only salt and pepper, but it is mentioned among the spices for the meatballs. Variations You can adjust the amount of thyme and oregano in the sauce according to taste, as the original recipe does not specify exact measurements for these spices. The flavors of the sauce can be modified by varying the amount of garlic and spices, without changing the basic steps. However, the recipe relies on the combination of passata, bay leaf, thyme, and oregano. If you prefer a less sweet sauce, the amount of sugar can be adjusted, but the basic recipe uses one tablespoon. Serving ideas Marinated meatballs can be served as a main dish, with the tomato sauce poured over them. The sauce can also be used alongside a simple side dish if you want the meal to be more filling. Parsley is already used in the meatball mixture. If you have some on hand, you can use it for serving, but this step is not included in the original recipe. Frequently asked questions How long should the tomato sauce simmer? The sauce simmers for about 25 minutes before you add the meatballs. After they are added, they simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Why is soaked bread used in milk? Soaked bread is part of the meatball mixture and contributes to a softer and more cohesive texture. It needs to be soaked in milk before being added. Can I put raw meatballs directly into the sauce? In the original recipe, the meatballs are first fried in deep oil and only then added to the sauce. To maintain the original preparation, follow this order. How big should the meatballs be? The recipe indicates small balls without specifying an exact size. It is important that they are approximately equal to cook as evenly as possible. What if the sauce is too thick? You can check the texture of the sauce while it simmers. The recipe already includes half a cup of water, added with the passata. If you follow the indicated quantities, there is no need to modify the sauce unless you notice it is boiling too much and reducing excessively. Nutritional values The values below are estimated, as the quantity of bread crumbs, the quantity of milk, and the amount of oil absorbed during frying are not specified. The number of servings is also not mentioned, so the estimate is indicative for one serving from a dish divided into about 3 servings. For one serving, you can estimate approximately: Calories: 450-550 kcal Protein: 25-30 g Fat: 28-36 g Carbohydrates: 20-28 g The largest variation comes from the oil used for frying, the fat percentage of the meat, and the amount of bread added to the mixture. These values should not be considered an exact nutritional calculation. Storage and reheating After cooling, marinated meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container. For taste and texture, it is best to consume them within the next two days. When reheating, place the meatballs along with the sauce in a small pot and heat over low heat until warm. If the sauce has thickened too much in the fridge, it can be warmed gradually without letting it boil aggressively. The recipe is not suitable for storage at room temperature.

Marinated meatballs

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