Think of this dish as a meatball version of the classic French boeuf bourguignon; the meatballs are cooked in a mixture of red wine and herbs. Serve the meatballs over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes and accompanied with a Burgundy wine. In a dish such as this one in which the meatballs are merely browned but not cooked through initially, the dish must be cooked to completion before refrigerating. The partially cooked meatballs contain raw egg, and can cause illness.
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
11/4 pounds ground chuck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Vegetable oil spray
11/4 cups dry red wine
1 cup beef stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
1 cup grated Gruyère
1. Preheat the oven broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and spray the foil with vegetable oil spray.
2. Heat butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. While vegetables cook, combine egg and milk in a mixing bowl, and whisk until smooth. Add breadcrumbs, parsley, and thyme, and mix well.
3. Add onion mixture and beef, season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix well again. Make mixture into 2-inch meatballs, and arrange meatballs on the prepared pan. Spray tops of meatballs with vegetable oil spray.
4. Broil meatballs 6 inches from the broiler element, turning them with tongs to brown all sides. Remove meatballs from the broiler, and transfer to a 9 × 13-inch pan. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
5. Whisk wine, stock, tomato paste, and herbes de Provence in a mixing bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour mixture over meatballs. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle cheese on top, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Note: The meatball mixture can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Also, the dish can be cooked up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat in a 350°F oven, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until hot.