Less is more when it comes to adding ingredients to this simple sauce and meatballs. Do make sure, however, that you're using the proper salt and pepper for seasoning, as you should with all of these recipes. You should be using a high quality kosher salt, if not sea salt.. The bigger and more intense the grains of salt, the less you'll need to season. If you want to experiment with these meatballs, try tweaking one or two spices at a time. Another twist is doing a 50/50 mix of ground pork with ground beef. You'll have a much juicer meatball.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
MAKE IT: Roll the ground beef into medium-size meatballs. Season with salt and pepper and set aside for 1 hour at room temperature before cooking. This will ensure the meat cooks evenly. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the garlic and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until just brown. Be careful to not burn the garlic—because if you do, you'll have to start all over. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the thyme and carrot and cook until the latter is soft (about 5 minutes). Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, or until it begins to thicken. In a skillet placed over medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and butter and cook until the butter melts. Add the wine or beer and meatballs and cover with a lid. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the meatballs are no longer pink inside. (Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook the meatballs in batches.) Plate the meatballs and cover with the tomato sauce. Top with freshly grated Parmesan to taste.
