26 September 2026
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World Kitchen Journal
Meatballs in red wine
The Cellar
By Oliver Grant, The Cup desk · España · 3 min ·

Meatballs in red wine

Ingredients

For 6 people

900 g of longaniza sausage

2 eggs

3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

50g of cured cheese

4 slices of bread

1 splash of milk

Flour for dusting

Extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce:

1 onion

1 carrot

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of tomato sauce

1 bay leaf

300 ml of wine

300 ml of beef broth

Shall

Extra virgin olive oil

Meatballs in red wine: presentation

If you like meatballs, you're going to love these Meatballs in Red Wine. You know it's a recipe that requires a bit of preparation, but I always take the opportunity to make a big batch. We love stews at home, and these meatballs are always a hit. I made them with the minced meat from the sausage, and adding grated cheese gives them a really delicious touch. And the sauce? It's absolutely divine—you'll want to mop it up with bread!

If you have guests, these meatballs in red wine are a great option. You can serve them with diced potatoes.

How to make meatballs in red wine

1. Place the bread slices in a bowl and soak them with the milk. Turn them over until they are completely saturated. Leave them to soak until ready to use.

2. Prepare the meatball filling. Remove the casing from the sausage. Place the ground meat in a bowl and add the eggs, garlic powder, grated aged cheese, and the bread slices (drained of milk). Mix everything with your hands and add a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs until the mixture reaches the right consistency for forming meatballs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Shape the meatballs. After the resting time, shape the meatballs into rounds with your hands and coat them in flour. Place them on a plate.

4. Fry them in a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook them on all sides until golden brown on the outside and still slightly undercooked on the inside. Remove to paper towels and set aside.

5. Prepare the sofrito. In the same saucepan, add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and garlic. Season with salt and cook over medium heat until it begins to brown. Stir in the tomato, mix, and pour in the wine. Cook for a couple of minutes.

6. Blend the sauce until it is very smooth.

7. Pour the sauce back into the casserole dish and add the meatballs. Add the beef broth, the bay leaf, and cook covered for 30 minutes.

My tips for preparing meatballs in red wine:

Children and pregnant women cannot eat them.

Keep a good piece of bread handy because you won't be able to stop dipping it in the sauce.

When serving, drizzle well with the sauce.

If you like meatballs, check out these Meatballs with ratatouille.

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