Aromatic, juicy meatballs are a classic dish in Polish (but not only) cuisine that has been delighting our taste buds for centuries. They can be served alone or with various sauces, making them even more delicious.
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- Ground beef-pork mixture – 500 g
- Breadcrumbs – 110 g
- Onion – 1 piece
- Wheat flour – 70 g
- Egg – 1 piece
- Milk (1.5%) – 60 ml
- Oil – 40 ml
- Salt – 2.5 g
- Black pepper – 1.5 g
- Marjoram – 0.5 g
Sauce:
- Vegetable broth – 400 ml
- Water – 400 ml
- Onion – 1 piece
- Garlic cloves – 2 pieces
- Carrot – 1 piece
- Celery – 0.5 piece
- Celery stalk – 70 g
- Leek – 0.5 piece
- Butter – 30 g
- Wheat flour – 20 g
- Allspice – 4 pieces
- Bay leaf – 3 pieces
- Salt – 2 g
- Black pepper – 1 g
Preparation
Meatballs:
Step 1: Soak the Breadcrumbs
- Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and pour milk over them. They should swell slightly.
Step 2: Prepare the Base
- Peel and finely chop the onion, then place it in a large bowl. Add the meat, breadcrumbs, egg, and spices.
Step 3: Knead the Mixture
- Mix all the ingredients and start kneading the mixture. Once it becomes uniform, start shaping it into balls of your chosen size (about 7 cm is ideal).
Step 4: Coat the Meatballs in Flour
- Spread flour on a plate, then roll each meatball in it.
Step 5: Fry the Meatballs
- Heat the oil in a pan and start frying the meatballs until they turn golden brown. The flour should seal the pores in the meat, preventing it from losing moisture. Meanwhile, proceed to prepare the sauce.
Sauce:
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
- Wash and slice the leek and celery stalk. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Peel and dice the carrot and celery.
Step 2: Add Ingredients to the Meatballs
- Add all the vegetables to the pan where the meatballs are frying and mix. Let them fry for 5 minutes (they should soften slightly). Begin stirring and gradually pour in the water, then wait for it to evaporate slightly.
Step 3: Add the Broth
- Gradually add the broth while stirring continuously. Once the sauce is prepared along with the meatballs, season it and let it simmer for a few minutes over low heat.
Step 4: Strain the Sauce
- Remove all the meatballs from the pan and strain the sauce through a sieve into a pot.
Step 5: Finish the Dish
- Put the meatballs back into the pan and pour the sauce over them. If the sauce seems too thin, you can thicken it slightly by adding wine or a bit of roux. Simmer for another 3-4 minutes, then serve on deep plates. Enjoy with mashed potatoes or bread.
