Читать книгу Everyday Slow Cooking - Kim Laidlaw - Страница 16

15

BEEF

Preheat an oven to 450ºF (230ºC). To make the meatballs, in a arge bowl, combine the ground meats, egg, onion, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Using your hands, gently but thoroughly blend the ingredients. Form the mixture into meatballs about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, pacing them well apart on an ungreased rimmed baking sheet. (You should have about 24 meatballs.) Bake the meatballs until browned, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a slow cooker, combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and basil sprig, and stir until combined.

When the meatballs are ready, transfer them to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on the low setting for 3 hours. The meatballs should be tender and cooked through in the center and the sauce should be slightly thickened. Remove the basil sprig.

Divide the meatballs and sauce among individual shallow bowls, garnish with the basil leaves, and serve.

FOR THE MEATBALLS

2 lb (900 g) mixed ground

beef, pork, and veal

1 egg

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

½ cup (1 oz/30 g) fresh bread crumbs or panko

¼ cup (1 oz/30 g) grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh fat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon chopped

fresh oregano

1 tablespoon chopped

fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

FOR THE RAGÙ

2 cans (28 oz/800 g each) crushed tomatoes with juices 1 can (15 oz/425 g) tomato sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon fresh oregano1 sprig fresh basil 3 tablespoons small fresh basil leaves

SERVES6–8

Here you have two recipes in one, a tomato sauce infused with basil and oregano and succulent meatballs made even more tender with a long stint in a slow cooker. Give this recipe a modern twist by serving the meatballs and sauce over sautéed greens, or go old-school and serve them atop a pile of spaghetti.

HERBEDMEATBALLSWITHTOMATO RAGÙ