Meatballs — Italian Polpette
Tender, juicy Italian meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce. The panade ensures a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Meatballs — Italian Polpette
Tender, juicy Italian meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce. The panade ensures a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
The Key Move
Use a panade (bread soaked in milk) to keep the meatballs moist and tender.
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The Setup
- Mixing Bowllarge
- Skilletlarge
The Mise en Place
5 of 13Your prep station before cooking begins
The Protein (0/4)
The Aromatics (0/1)
Meatballs are dry.
Ensure the panade is properly prepared and that you are not overmixing the meatball mixture.
Meatballs are falling apart.
Gently mix the ingredients and ensure the meatballs are properly seared before adding the sauce.
The Method
PREPARE
In a bowl, soak the bread (2 slices) in milk (½ cups) for 5-10 minutes until softened. Squeeze out excess milk.
COMBINE
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef (900 g), soaked bread (2 slices), egg (1 large), Parmesan cheese (½ cups), garlic (2 cloves), parsley, salt (1 tsp), and pepper.
MIX
Gently mix all ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
ROLL
Prep aheadRoll the mixture into 1.5-inch meatballs.
Uniformly sized meatballs
HEAT
Heat olive oil (2 tbsp) in a large skillet over medium heat.
SEAR
Sear the meatballs in batches until browned on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Meatballs are browned on all sides
Overcrowding: Crowding steams instead of browning. Sear in batches and leave space.
ADD
Add tomato sauce (28 oz), dried oregano (1 tsp), and bay leaf (1 leaf) to the skillet.
SIMMER
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Sauce is thickened and meatballs are cooked through • Aromatic sauce
Scorch risk: Reductions can go from perfect to burnt fast. Keep an eye on the bottom and stir if needed.
SEASON
Season with salt (1 tsp) and pepper to taste.
Balanced flavor
SERVE
Serve hot over pasta, polenta, or on their own.
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