Meatballs with Homemade Marinara Sauce....Yum!

Meatball Sub with Homemade Marinara Sauce

I had been going through major boyfriend withdrawals and decided that if I made something especially yummy that I could entice him to make the 50 min trip over to my house after a long day at work. Before I could even finish the sentence "Meatball Sub" I was assured that my better half would be more than willing to make the drive for a good dinner. With the assurance of my boyfriend I quickly arose from the bed to make a quick run to HEB. If I was going to make a great quality marinara sauce then I would have to get the pot going as soon as possible to let it simmer for a few hours.
Can I just say that this was by far the yummiest meatballs and sauce I have ever made! To the point where I will no longer be trying to add and subtract ingredients because I think I have found the perfect combination.
Now, I am all for sharing great food with the public because I feel everyone deserves to find recipes they can fall in love with, so below is the list of ingredients and preparation <3

For the meatballs:

4 cloves of minced garlic
1 small (or 1/2 a large) minced shallot
pinch of red pepper flakes
fresh basil
fresh flat leaf Italian parsley
grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper
splash of whole milk
1/2 lb of ground pork
1/2 lb of 80/20 ground beef

Mix all ingredients (except for meat) together until combined. Next add both meats and mix GENTLY. Do not overwork the meat or you will end up with very dense meatballs. You want them to be light and airy, and you can achieve this by being delicate with your mixing.
Next, roll the mixture into balls and place them in a saute pan with EVOO. Brown on two sides (yes two, because you dont want them to cook through just yet, I just want some crunch).
After, put the saute pan into a 350 degree oven and bake for about 15-20 mins. Then take out the meatballs and place them in the homemade marinara sauce (recipe follows)

Homemade Marinara Sauce

3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks
5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 small yellow onion
EVOO
1/2 cup red wine (I use Cab)
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
dried oregano
dried thyme
red pepper flakes
fresh basil, leaves and stems
tsp of sugar
2 pads of butter (yes butter!)
salt and pepper

Place the carrots, celery, garlic, and onion in a blender or food processor and blend. In a large pot, put about 2 tbs of EVOO and turn on to medium high. Place the contents in the food processor into the pot and then leave it alone. You want all of the liquid from the veggies to evaporate and then start to brown on the bottom of the pan. BROWN FOOD TASTES YUMMY! It is how you can add a depth of flavor to your dishes. Once you have browned the veggies, deglaze the pan with the red wine. Cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Next, add in all the tomato sauces and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaves, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and basil stems (pluck off the leaves and set aside). Add the sugar to help reduce the acid from the tomatoes and round out the flavor of the marinara. Salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 1/2-3hrs. At the end of cooking, take out the bay leaves and basil stems. Tear the basil leaves for a rustic presentation, or julienne them for more sophistication and add into the pot (reserve some for plating). Add in the pads of butter to create a glossy finish. Throw in the meatballs about half way through cooking :)

I hope you try this recipe and that you enjoy it as much as my boyfriend and I did! Needless to say, his trip was well worth the time and gas <3