Name: Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: Belgian
Ingredients: 1 l water; 2 cubes beef broth; 1 kg minced meat (mixed); 1 herb mix ((here spaghetti herbs)); 2 eggs; 70 g breadcrumbs; 10 g butter (for frying); 200 g butter (for the roux); 200 g flour (for the roux); 1 l milk (full fat); 3 tomato puree (large cans); 1 tbsp madeira (or cognac - whisky - ...)

The Meatballs

Bring the water to a boil and add the beef broth cubes.
Mix the minced meat with the herbs, egg yolks and breadcrumbs.
Wet your hands and roll the meatballs. Keeping your hands wet prevents the meat from sticking to them.
Cook the meatballs in the broth for 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the meatballs. Once they float to the surface you know they are done.
Time range: choose the first timer to check progress or the last for the end of the stated time.
Take a pan. Melt a knob of butter and brown the meatballs briefly. Set aside.

The Sauce

In a large bowl melt the butter and add the flour. Stir well to make a roux. Let it heat gently for up to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. This removes the flour taste from the roux (and thus the sauce).
Gradually pour the milk through the roux, stirring well until the roux is fully absorbed by the milk. Lumps? No worries - keep stirring and if it doesn't work, just use a mixer.
If necessary, strain the beef broth through a sieve. Add the strained beef broth.
Add the cans of tomato puree one by one until you have enough red tomato sauce (both in appearance and taste). This can be up to 3 cans.
Add the meatballs.
Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

Optional

Add a splash of spirits to taste for a specific twist.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Beef Broth

Meatballs

Tomato Sauce

Optional

Get cooking

The Meatballs

The Sauce

Optional