Grandma Grace's Meatballs Recipe
Two 40x beef with pork tomato sauce, coarse grated cheese
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Ingredients
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Meatballs
Tomato Sauce
To Finish
Method
Meatballs
- 1
Soak breadcrumbs
Put the fresh breadcrumbs in a small bowl and pour the milk over them. Let sit 5 minutes until softened.
- 2
Mix meatball ingredients
In a large bowl combine the ground beef and ground pork. Add the softened breadcrumbs (squeeze out excess milk if very wet), the egg, finely grated Parmesan, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix gently with your hands or a fork until just combined—do not overwork, about 20–30 seconds.
- 3
Portion meatballs
Divide the mixture into two portions of 40 g each (approximately two dozen 40 g meatballs total would be about 12 meatballs — the recipe makes two 40 g meatballs per serving as described). To follow the menu description (Two 40x per serving): form 4 meatballs of ~40 g each per entire recipe; for 2 servings take two 40 g meatballs. To portion: lightly oil your hands and roll each portion into a smooth ball about 1.5–2 inches in diameter. Place on a tray while you finish shaping.
- 4
Brown meatballs
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the meatballs in a single layer without crowding (work in batches if needed). Brown on all sides, turning carefully with tongs, about 2–3 minutes per side until a deep golden crust forms. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and reserve any fond in the pan.
Tomato Sauce
- 5
- 6
Build sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, sugar (if using), salt, and black pepper. Pour in 125 ml water or red wine to loosen the sauce and scrape up any brown bits from the pan.
- 7
Simmer with meatballs
Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Gently nestle the browned meatballs into the simmering tomato sauce. Cover partially and cook for 20–25 minutes, turning the meatballs once halfway through so they cook evenly. The meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F) and the sauce should thicken slightly.
To Finish
- 8
Serve
Spoon two 40 g meatballs (or two per serving as plated) into warm shallow bowls and ladle hot tomato sauce over them. Sprinkle coarse grated cheese liberally over each portion and garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve immediately.
- 9
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze sauce and meatballs for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through.