Beef Meatballs in Gravy

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients for the dish. You can grind the meat yourself from a fresh cut of beef, such as tenderloin, or use ready-made ground beef you've prepared ahead or picked up at the store.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rinse the rice, changing the water several times. Boil it in salted water until half-cooked, then drain and rinse it in clean cold water. Tip the rice into a colander and let it drain completely.

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel the onions and finely chop them with a knife.

4. Step 4:

   

   Wash, peel, and grate the carrot.

5. Step 5:

   

   To the bowl of ground beef, add the rice, half of the chopped onion, salt and ground black pepper, and crack in the egg. Mix everything thoroughly until the meat mixture is smooth and even.

6. Step 6:

   

   Scoop up the meat mixture with a spoon, drop it onto a plate of flour (breadcrumbs work too), and roll into small balls. Add vegetable oil to a pan — use a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet or a sauté pan — and heat it up.

7. Step 7:

   

   Fry the meatballs until browned on both sides, turning them with a spatula. Remove them from the pan.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add the remaining chopped onion and grated carrot to the oil left in the pan. Sauté the vegetables until the onion is translucent and the carrot is soft.

9. Step 9:

   

   Add the tomato paste — or chopped or puréed fresh tomatoes — to the pan of sautéed vegetables. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Stir the ingredients together and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

10. Step 10:

    

    Return the meatballs to the pan with the gravy, stir, and simmer for about 20 minutes over low heat with the lid slightly ajar. Turn off the heat.

11. Step 11:

    

    The meatballs are ready. Serve them with the side dish of your choice. Enjoy!