From Todd Long.
Todd's signature dish when the kids are hungry!
Ingredients
Meatballs:
2 pounds ground chuck
1 pound ground pork
1 cup of fresh chopped parsley
1 cup of fresh bread crumbs
1 finely chopped medium onion
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 well-beaten eggs
Sauce:
2 packages of fresh sliced mushrooms
2 (16 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
2 (16 ounce) cans of tomato puree
16 ounces of water
2 cups of really good red wine
½ cup dried oregano
¼ cup Italian seasoning
1 large onion
2 pounds ground chuck.
Instructions
Meatballs:
Combine beef and pork in mixing bowl. Use your hands -- it's fun! HINT: It helps if you rinse your hands under hot water and mix while they are still wet. Add parsley and mix. Add garlic and onions and mix. Add eggs and mix. Add bread crumbs last. I like to mix this the night before and let stand in fridge overnight. Shape into balls and place on metal or wire rack. Place rack on cooking sheet and place into a 350 degree oven. Don't forget to spray Pam both the rack and cookie sheet. Cook for about 20 minutes. Turn meatballs and cook for another 15 minutes. Do not overcook, you are just trying to eliminate some of the grease before adding to your sauce.
Sauce:
Saute fresh mushrooms. Set aside. Brown ground chuck and chopped onion in same skillet. Drain meat in colander. Add meat, mushrooms, and other ingredients to large pot and simmer for 3 hours. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. Bring back to simmer and add meatballs. Simmer for 3 more hours. This is a huge batch but it will keep in the freezer for a long time.