Equipment
Ingredients
Pork Meatballs
- 500 g ground pork, chilled
- 50 g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic, minced
- 15 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 6 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Stew Base
- 30 ml olive oil
- 200 g yellow onion, diced
- 300 g carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
- 500 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
- 30 g tomato paste
- 800 g crushed tomatoes
- 500 ml chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf, whole
- 2 g dried thyme
- 150 g frozen peas
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 507 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbohydrates
- 45 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Sodium
- 1372 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 92 mg
- Potassium
- 1516 mg
- Calcium
- 140 mg
- Iron
- 5.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 89 mg
- Phosphorus
- 371 mg
- Zinc
- 3.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 503 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 45 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 66 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.89 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.40 mg
- Niacin
- 7.9 mg
- Folate
- 67 mcg
- Water
- 301 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the ground pork, panko breadcrumbs, egg, minced garlic, chopped parsley, kosher salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Gently mix with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat. Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw pork to prevent cross-contamination.
Roll the pork mixture into uniform meatballs, about the size of a golf ball or 30 grams each. Place the shaped meatballs on a clean plate.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the meatballs and brown them on all sides. Transfer the browned meatballs back to the plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. In the same Dutch oven using the residual oil and pork fat, add the diced yellow onion and sliced carrots. Sauté until the onions are translucent and slightly softened.
Stir the tomato paste and dried thyme into the vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the tomato paste darkens from bright red to a deep rust color.
Pour in a small splash of the chicken broth to deglaze the pot. Scrape the bottom firmly with your wooden spoon to release any browned bits of fond stuck to the pan.
Add the remaining chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, cubed waxy potatoes, and the bay leaf to the pot. Stir well to combine all ingredients and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Carefully return the browned meatballs and any accumulated juices from the plate to the pot. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the meatballs reach a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Remove the lid and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the frozen peas and simmer for an additional few minutes until the peas are heated through and vibrant green. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot.
Chef's Notes
- Browning the meatballs before stewing builds a foundational layer of savory fond at the bottom of your pot. Do not skip this step, as it is essential for a deep, complex sauce.
- Using waxy potatoes is crucial for hearty stews. Their lower starch and higher moisture content allow them to hold their structural integrity during the long simmer.
- Do not rush the tomato paste cooking step. Caramelizing the paste in the residual fat removes its raw, metallic flavor and introduces rich, sweet umami notes to the broth.
- If you prefer a thicker stew, you can mash a few of the cooked potato cubes against the side of the pot with your wooden spoon at the very end to release their starches into the broth.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. Flavors deepen and meld overnight, making this excellent for leftovers.
Freezer: 3 months — Potatoes may change texture slightly and become softer upon freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until bubbling and meatballs reach an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius.
Troubleshooting
Meatballs are tough and dense rather than tender
Cause: The meat mixture was overmixed or compacted too tightly during shaping
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Mix the meat and bindings gently with your hands just until evenly distributed
Potatoes have dissolved and turned the stew into a mushy paste
Cause: Used a highly starchy potato like a Russet, or the stew was boiled too vigorously
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always use waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold for long simmers and maintain a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil
The tomato sauce tastes overly acidic, sharp, or metallic
Cause: Tomato paste was not caramelized long enough, or canned tomatoes were particularly acidic
Fix: Stir in a pinch of sugar or a quarter teaspoon of baking soda to neutralize the acidity
Prevention: Allow the tomato paste to fully darken in the pan before adding liquids
Cultural Context
Meatballs simmered in a rich tomato and vegetable sauce have deep roots in both rustic Italian cooking, known as polpette, and the hearty albondigas stews of Spanish and Latin American traditions. This particular variation bridges these old-world concepts with the comforting, practical nature of North American one-pot meals, originally designed to stretch smaller amounts of meat with abundant root vegetables.
