Extremely tender and tasty, the white stew meatballs are a delicious variation on the classic meatballs theme, a staple of home cooking. In my family, they are among the most loved main courses, and I often prepare them, usually in the classic version of meatballs with tomato sauce, which is always a hit. Recently, however, I wanted to change things up a bit and experiment with a more delicate cooking method, without tomato: and so these white stew meatballs were born, cooked simply with vegetable broth. To make them more enticing and to obtain a creamy and enveloping sauce, I coat the meatballs in flour before cooking (either all-purpose flour or gluten-free rice flour): a small trick that makes a difference, making the cooking base thick and flavorful. There’s also another trick to achieving a tender texture: instead of the classic bread soaked in milk, I add directly to the ground meat some mashed boiled potatoes. A simple but effective idea that makes the meatballs incredibly tender without altering their flavor – and it’s perfect also for those who need to cook for celiacs but don’t have gluten-free bread available. Ready in just a few simple steps, the white stew meatballs will offer you a different and tasty main course, perfect for adding a bit of variety to the daily menu.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 328.27 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 18.34 (g) of which sugars 0.86 (g)
- Proteins 29.31 (g)
- Fat 16.40 (g) of which saturated 4.57 (g)of which unsaturated 1.41 (g)
- Fibers 1.54 (g)
- Sodium 1,797.26 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for about 20 Stew Meatballs
To prepare the gluten-free meatballs, I used rice flour instead of all-purpose flour. Make sure it is labeled “gluten-free”.
- 1.1 lbs beef (ground)
- 2 cups potatoes
- 1 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (or gluten-free rice flour)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg (optional)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (grated; optional)
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup vegetable broth
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Potato Masher
- 1 Garlic Press
- 1 Pan large, with lid
- 1 Spoon
How to Prepare Super Tender Meatballs in Stew Without Tomato
To prepare the stew meatballs, start by boiling the potatoes: after washing them thoroughly, place them whole and with their skin in a pot filled with cold water, turn on the heat, and count 40 minutes from boiling (in a pressure cooker, it takes 20 minutes from the whistle). To save time, if you have a microwave, you can boil the potatoes in the microwave using the method explained here.
Once cooked, mash them with a potato masher (1) letting them fall into a bowl. Let them cool, then add the ground meat (2) and season everything with a good pinch of salt, a grind of pepper, and, if you like, a bit of nutmeg and some grated lemon zest. Briefly mix everything with your hands, then add a crushed garlic clove (3). If you don’t have a garlic press, you can finely chop it with a knife.
Also add the Parmesan (4). Mix all the ingredients well, and lastly, add the egg (5). Work the mixture thoroughly with your hands, so the egg is evenly distributed throughout the dough. In the end, you should obtain a firm and homogeneous mixture (6).
Form about 20 meatballs, trying to make them all the same size (7) and place them on a tray. Pour a couple of tablespoons of flour into a bowl and coat the meatballs completely (8). Shake them to remove excess flour and place them on a tray. In a large non-stick pan heat the oil well, and when it is hot, place the meatballs in it (9).
Let them brown over high heat for about a minute, then turn them (10) and let them color on all sides. Increase the heat and deglaze with the hot vegetable broth (11). Lower the heat again, cover with a lid, and let the meatballs stew for 15-20 minutes over low heat. After the cooking time, remove the lid and briefly thicken the cooking base (12).
Serve the stew meatballs immediately, drizzled with their sauce.
Storage
You can store the meatballs in the fridge for 3 days in a glass container.
Tips and Variations
For a richer flavor, you can replace the vegetable broth with meat broth. The ground beef can be replaced in whole or in part with another type of ground meat: pork, chicken, turkey, veal…
