Let us begin by assembling your mise-en-place.
8-10 Servings
2 Lbs Lean Ground Beef (85%)
1 Lb Spicy (or Mild) Pork Italian Sausage
1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
3 Eggs
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Parmesan Cheese
3 Tbsp Evening In Tuscany
8 Cloves of Minced Garlic
2 14.5 oz can of Chopped Tomatoes
1 6 oz can of Tomato Paste
3/4 Cup Red Wine
In a large bowl add the breadcrumbs, eggs, grated parmesan cheese, 2 Tbsp Evening In Tuscany and 4 cloves minced garlic. Add milk and mix well then let sit for a few minutes until the breadcrumbs are soft.
Add the ground beef and pork Italian sausage (if sausage is in casing remove by slicing open and squeezing out). Mix this with your hands until well combined. You can use a utensil, but working it by hand blends it better. Plus, you are truly creating something by hand!
We used an ice cream scooper to help make all the meatballs uniform. You can use any 2 oz scoop or your hands. Place scoop in meat mixture and fill it, press it on the side of the bowl to compress. Release meatball into your hand and roll into a ball. Repeat with all the meat mixture.
Now, let's start the sauce. Add the olive oil to a large pan and add the onions and remainder of the minced garlic. Sauté for about 6 minutes until the onion is translucent and soft. Add the 2 cans of chopped tomatoes and 3 Tbsp of Tomato Paste. Stir to combine and add 1 tbsp Evening In Tuscany and the red wine. Let this simmer for 30 minutes.
While sauce is simmering, brown the meatballs. We do not want to cook them all the way, just to create a crust on the outside. Brown in batches for about 5 minutes per batch. Set aside.
We like this sauce smooth. You can achieve this by using an immersion blender as we did or you can use a regular blender. (If you use a regular blender make sure you do not fill it more than half way and that you use a towel, not the blender lid, to prevent splatter. Hot liquid expands, so be careful.) If using the immersion blender, insert it at a slight angle to allow onion and tomatoes to rotate through the blades, and move around the pot. Thus creating a smooth beautiful sauce!
Now add the meatballs carefully, as they are fragile because they are still raw in center, to the sauce and simmer for 1 1/2–2 hours on a low heat.
A half hour or so before sauce is done, add the remaining 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and 1 chopped bunch flat leaf parsley. Stir to mix in.
Cook some pasta, and Mangia, Mangia!
At this point it is delicious to enjoy or if you have the time you can let it simmer a bit longer. This sauce freezes really well. You can also make fabulous meatball sandwiches as a leftover meal!
