Making your own meatballs is an easy thing to do, as this Meatballs Recipe will show you.
This meatball appetizer starts with some ground beef and pork, then mix in a few other ingredients, roll the meatballs up and bake them. Then add them to the sauce and cook them on the stove top. You can serve them immediately or make them hours ahead of time and keep them warm in a crockpot until your guests arrive.
If time is an issue, you can always buy a bag of precooked frozen meatballs and skip down to the part where you make the sauce.
Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
- 2 slices high-quality white sandwich bread
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 pound (80 percent lean) ground beef
- 1/4 pound ground pork
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese , plus extra for serving
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- Salt and Pepper
Sauce:
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- Salt
- Tabasco sauce
Preparation:
Meatballs:
- Remove and discard the crusts from the bread, then tear the bread into small pieces.
- Mash the bread pieces and buttermilk to a smooth paste in a large bowl, using a fork.
- Add the beef, pork, Parmesan, parsley, yolk, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to the mashed bread.
- Stir the mixture gently until combined and uniform.
- Form the mixture into 3/4-inch balls.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Spread the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Sauce:
- Add the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, water, mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic in a large pot.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for 10 minutes.
- Season with Salt and Tabasco.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately or keep warm in a crockpot for up to 4 hours.
