Meatballs in sauce in a frying pan
Good meatballs need tender meat and a delicious sauce. I always add sour cream to soften the flavor of the sauce, with vegetables depending on the season. In summer and autumn I use bell peppers and fresh tomatoes when available; otherwise, tomato paste works well. I do not add bread, onion or egg to the meat mixture, so the meatballs remain firm and hold together as they cook.
For meatballs, I use minced pork and beef in equal proportions. Wash the rice and boil until half cooked. I just let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Then I drain and rinse with cold water.
Add dill and parsley (can be fresh or dry), rice, salt and spices to taste to the minced meat. I have seasoning for minced meat. So I’m adding it. Mix the minced meat well and pour in about half a glass of cold water. Knead again and let stand for a while. The minced meat should be smooth, without lumps and keep its shape well.
While the minced meat is steeping, make the gravy. Finely chop the onion, grate the carrots on a fine grater. Lightly fry everything together in a deep frying pan with a small amount of vegetable oil. Add finely chopped tomatoes. Fry everything thoroughly again. Add salt and a little water. So that the vegetables are only slightly “bathed” in the liquid. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
If tomato paste is used, then the onions and carrots need to be fried until tender and only then add the tomato paste. Fry again, add water and simmer.
With wet hands, separate a small piece of minced meat and form a meatball the size of a ping pong ball.
When all the meatballs are molded, pour a couple of glasses of boiling water into the frying pan and let it boil properly.
Carefully lower all the meatballs into the boiling sauce. The meatballs should be almost completely hidden. Reduce the heat so that the boil is not too intense (I set it a little below medium). And leave to cook for 20 minutes.
Now you need to thicken the sauce. In a separate container, mix sour cream, flour and half a glass of water. No lumps! Pour the resulting mixture over our meatballs. Stir gently so that there are no lumps. If it turns out a bit thick, add a little water. Add salt and spices to taste. I like it with dry adjika and paprika. Place on low heat and leave to simmer covered for 20 minutes. Make sure there is no intense boiling.