Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 500 g Mixed ground meat
• Salt (to taste, for the meatballs)
• Pepper (to taste, for the meatballs)
• 1 Egg
• 2 felii Pita bread (small slices; soaked in water and well squeezed)
• Breadcrumbs (a little)
• 4 căței Garlic (crushed; the transcript says 3–4 cloves)
• Water (for soaking the bread and shaping the meatballs; also used to fill the tomato juice bottle)
• Tomato juice (one bottle; the quantity is not specified)
• Salt (to taste, for the sauce)
• Pepper (to taste, for the sauce)
• 1 linguriță Sugar
• 2 Bay leaves
• Oil (for frying; the quantity is not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the two small slices of pita bread in water, then squeeze them well and crumble them into a bowl.

2. 2

   Add the ground meat, salt, pepper, egg, a little breadcrumbs, and the crushed garlic. Mix until well combined.

3. 3

   Put a little water in a bowl and wet your hands so the mixture does not stick. Shape the meatballs and flatten them slightly.

4. 4

   For the sauce, pour the tomato juice into a saucepan and fill the bottle with water, then pour the water into the saucepan. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, and two bay leaves.

5. 5

   Place the sauce over low heat and let it simmer while you fry the meatballs.

6. 6

   In a separate pan, heat the oil well.

7. 7

   Add the meatballs to the pan with the oil and fry them, turning them over. They do not need to be fully cooked at this stage.

8. 8

   Remove the meatballs from the pan and place them directly into the simmering sauce.

9. 9

   Let the meatballs simmer in the sauce over low heat for 10 minutes, until cooked through.

10. 10

    Place the meatballs and sauce on plates. Serve with mashed potatoes, if desired.

Notes

The quantities of tomato juice and water used to fill the bottle, as well as the quantities of oil, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs, are not specified. Mashed potatoes are mentioned as an accompaniment, but their recipe is not included.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• meat
• with sauce
• fried
• slow-cooked
• served with mashed potatoes