American-style meatballs
Description
This recipe won't take much time. I'm not sure if the United States is truly the origin of this dish, but that's the name under which I came across it. In general, meatballs are very popular worldwide. Every nation prepares them in its own way—Swedes, for example, add cream to the meat mixture and fry the meatballs in butter, while Russians usually mix rice into the meat and stew the meatballs in sauce, predominantly tomato-based. The American-style meatball recipe is close to our national version but has one distinctive feature—there's no rice at all, but instead, it includes Parmesan. Don't be surprised—Italian immigrants brought many of their traditional products into American cuisine. So meatballs with Parmesan are truly American. Try this dish; if you can't get Parmesan, substitute it with any other good hard cheese (just not processed cheese!). Meat, cheese, and tomato sauce—a winning combination. The Italians proved this long ago, not only to Americans but to the entire world, with pizza. Serve hot.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
First, let's prepare the minced meat - mince the pork together with the onion using a meat grinder or blender.
- 2
Step 2
Grate the Parmesan and add it to the meat mixture. Season with salt and pepper, mix thoroughly.
- 3
Step 3
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Rinse with cold water.
- 4
Step 4
Now the tomato skin will come off easily. Remove it, then chop the flesh with a knife.
- 5
Step 5
Place the pulp in a high-sided skillet or saucepan and simmer over low heat for about 10–15 minutes, until the sauce becomes fairly uniform. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 6
Step 6
Form small meatballs from the minced meat and place them in a heatproof dish. Pour the sauce over them and bake in the oven at 180°C (356°F) for 30 minutes. Serve with any side dish and/or a leafy green salad. American-style meatballs are ready—please enjoy! :)