This family recipe was shared by Matthew Cutolo, the chef of the New York restaurant “Gargiulo’s.” According to him, these meatballs were made by his grandmother, then his mother, and finally he himself took over the recipe, writes “Parade.”
“You learn some recipes while working as a kitchen chef, and others just become a part of you. I have eaten these meatballs my whole life,” said M. Cutolo.
He does not change the traditional recipe and instead of soaked bread, he does not use dry breadcrumbs. It is the bread that helps the meatballs stay soft and juicy.
Italian Beef Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
For the meatballs you will need:
- 900 g ground beef with about 20% fat;
- 4 slices of white bread;
- 150 g finely grated “Pecorino Romano” cheese;
- 2 eggs;
- about 15 g chopped fresh parsley;
- salt and ground black pepper;
- olive oil for frying.
For the sauce you will need:
- 30–45 ml olive oil;
- 1 onion;
- about 170 g tomato paste;
- 240 ml red wine;
- 1.4 kg crushed tomato puree;
- salt and ground black pepper;
- a handful of fresh basil leaves.
How to prepare
- Briefly soak the white bread in water, then squeeze it well.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, soaked bread, grated “Pecorino Romano” cheese, eggs, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Gently mix the mixture so the ingredients combine. Do not knead too long or hard – this affects whether the meatballs remain soft.
- Form meatballs about 6–7 cm in diameter and place them on a tray.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches until they are nicely browned on all sides. Remove and set aside temporarily.
- Add finely chopped onion to the same pot. Cook for 8–10 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
- Add tomato paste, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot – they will add more flavor to the sauce. Simmer the wine for 1–2 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomato puree, stir, and season with salt and pepper.
- Carefully return the meatballs to the sauce and add fresh basil leaves.
- Partially cover the pot and simmer the meatballs over low heat for about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Stir gently occasionally.
Serve with pasta or eat as a separate dish. Before serving, you can grate a little more cheese on top. Fresh white bread also goes well with the meatballs, which can be used to soak up the remaining sauce on the plate.
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