JB’s Meatballs and Red Sauce

One dish I like to use our fresh ground pork shoulder in is meatballs with red sauce. This version is inspired by watching Joe Bastianich, so they are roasted then finished in the sauce, perfect with pasta, or broken up for Pomodoro sauce, but our real favorite is on a meatball sandwich with fresh provolone!

Ingredients
Sauce
28 oz can San Marzano peeled tomatoes crushed
15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
29 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp molasses
½ tsp pepper flakes
4 tbsp olive oil

Meatballs
½ lb ground beef
½ lb home ground pork
½ red pepper chopped finely
½ medium onion finely chopped
1 jalapeno cored and chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup half and half
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup breadcrumbs
¼ tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp olive oil

In a Dutch oven combine the sauce ingredients and bring to a slow boil stirring regularly, then simmer until the meatballs are added. Watch the heat and stir often so the bottom doesn’t burn.
Heat one tbsp olive oil in a nonstick pan then drop in the onion, jalapeno, and red pepper. Cook until the onions start to soften, then drop in the garlic, cook another minute, and remove from the heat. Set the oven to 400 °F.
Place the ground pork, ground beef, Worcestershire, fennel, panko, and breadcrumbs, into a large mixing bowl. Drop in the cooked vegetables and the half and half. Combine and mix well, but do not overmix. Divide the meat mixture into 6 equal balls (I use a scale) and place them into a lightly oiled 13’ x9” glass baking dish, then place in the oven, center rack. Cook for between 25 and 30 minutes, turning once.
Once meatballs are browned remove from the baking dish, place in the sauce, stir to cover. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, then they are ready to serve.