Pork meatballs with spicy sauce

Ingredients:

Meat sauce

• 450 g lean ground pork
• 3 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp dried pepper flakes
• 2 (800g each) cans of whole cherry tomatoes, mashed by hand
• Salt

Meatballs

• 900 g lean minced pork
• 3-4 canned hot chili peppers, finely chopped, reserving 2-3 tbsp of the brine from the jar
• 4 slices of white bread, crumbled by hand
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Prepare the sauce: Pour olive oil into a preheated heavy-bottomed saucepan and sauté the onion with 2 teaspoons of salt over medium heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground pork and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, marinade, and 1 cup of water to the pan with the minced meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by one-third, about 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs: Preheat oven to 230°C (430°F). Combine ground pork, 1 tablespoon salt, hot peppers and their brine, bread, and eggs in a deep bowl. Form into 24 medium balls.
4. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil, then place the meatballs on the sheet and bake in the oven until cooked through, about 14 minutes.
5. Divide meatballs Portion into portions and drizzle with sauce. Polenta can be served as a side dish.