Meatballs braised in marinara sauce

Ingredients:

Meatballs

• 900 g of minced pork shoulder (not too fatty)
• 2 tsp chili pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 eggs
• 0.5 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup curly parsley leaves with stems, washed, dried and chopped
• 1 tbsp. grated parmesan
• 1 tbsp. breadcrumbs, fried
• 1/4 - 0.5 cup vegetable oil + 1 tbsp for test frying

Marinara sauce

• 1 can (800 g) of canned whole tomatoes, peeled
• 4 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled, halved and diced
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 - 3 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and grated
• 4 cups water, divided + more as needed
• 1 cup basil leaves, washed
• Grated Parmesan

Preparation:

1. Place the ground meat in a large bowl and season with salt to taste. Add the remaining ingredients, saving the breadcrumbs for last. Mix everything together. Form a small patty and fry it in a small frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil. When the patty is browned on both sides, taste it and add more salt if needed. Roll the ground meat into approximately 20-25 meatballs, each 5 cm in diameter.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, turn off the heat to prevent splattering. Add the meatballs in a single layer, but not too close together to ensure they fry rather than stew. You may need to fry them in batches.
3. Fry the meatballs over high heat, turning them occasionally until golden brown on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. They should be medium-rare, like burger patties. Feel them to make sure they're still tender in the center. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs from the pan to a plate and fry the remaining meatballs.
4. Place the meatballs in the spicy tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and let the dish rest for a few more minutes before serving.
   
   

   Marinara sauce

   
   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sugar and season with salt to taste. Stir in the carrots and season with salt again. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the canned tomatoes. Using a wooden spoon, break up some of the whole tomatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes. Add half of the reserved cooking water to prevent the vegetables from drying out and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Taste for salt. The tomatoes should be almost completely broken down and the flavors should be blended. Add the remaining cooking water if needed and cook for another 10 minutes. The sauce will simmer for about the same time it takes to cook the meatballs from start to finish, about 45 minutes. Stir in the basil leaves and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.