Spicy Braised Meatballs Recipe
Braised in spicy sauce, accompanied with fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and garlic bread
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Ingredients
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Meatballs
Spicy Braising Sauce
To Serve
Method
Meatballs
Place the fresh breadcrumbs in a small bowl and pour the milk over them. Let sit 5 minutes until milk is absorbed.
Mix meatball mixture
In a large bowl combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried oregano, 1 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Using your hands or a fork, gently mix until just combined — avoid overworking to keep meatballs tender.
Form meatballs
Portion the mixture into 1 1/4-inch (about 2 oz) meatballs (yields ~18–20). Roll gently between your palms to form smooth balls; set on a rimmed tray or plate.
Brown meatballs
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown meatballs on all sides, about 6–8 minutes per batch. They should be nicely browned but not cooked through. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and reserve drippings in the pan.
Spicy Braising Sauce
Sweat aromatics
Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan with drippings if needed. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5–6 minutes. Add the sliced garlic, red pepper flakes and hot chili paste and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
Build sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen flavor. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup red wine if using, scraping up browned bits. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup stock, brown sugar (or honey), chopped basil, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
Braise meatballs
Return the browned meatballs to the sauce, nestling them so they are partly submerged. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, turning once halfway through so they cook evenly and absorb sauce flavors. The internal temperature should reach 160°F (71°C). If sauce reduces too much, add up to an additional 1/4 cup stock or water.
Finish sauce
Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper or red pepper flakes for more heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped basil just before serving for freshness.
To Serve
Prepare garlic bread
While the meatballs finish braising, warm the garlic bread according to package instructions or make quick garlic toast: mix 2 tablespoons softened butter with 1 minced garlic clove and spread on bread slices. Toast in a 400°F (200°C) oven 6–8 minutes until golden.
Plate and garnish
Spoon a generous amount of sauce onto a serving platter or individual plates. Arrange meatballs over the sauce, sprinkle with chopped parsley and torn basil leaves, and grate or shave Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately with garlic bread alongside for dipping.