Meatballs & Sauce

Recipe courtesy of David Rocco

For the Meatballs:

1 lb (500 g) extra lean ground beef

1 lb (500 g) ground pork

½ cup ricotta

1 egg

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Tomato Sauce:

¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup (250 ml) red wine

6 cups passata

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork, ricotta, egg, Parmigiano, parsley and salt and pepper. Mix well to combine all of the ingredients. Using your hands, scoop up the mixture and shape into balls, about the size of a golf ball.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onions and cook until translucent. Then add the meatballs and the wine, and cook until the wine reduces by half. Add the passata and salt, and bring the mixture to a slight boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook, uncovered, for about 90 minutes.

You can cook the meatballs in the oven at 425ºF if you want to make ahead.

Tuscan Peposo

Recipe courtesy of David Rocco

4½ lb (2.25 kg) stewing beef. Including some gristle

1 head garlic, cloves peeled and left whole

½ cup freshly ground pepper (I put less than ¼ cup go with instinct)

4 cups thick tomato sauce

Coarse sea salt

1 bottle (3 cups/750 ml) Chianti

Put all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, put the lid on and let it cook for 4-5 hours. Turn the burner off and let it rest for an hour with the lid on.

Serve with Tuscan bread or polenta.