Porcupine Meatballs
Tender ground beef meatballs with uncooked long-grain rice inside, gently braised in seasoned tomato sauce until the rice is fluffy and tender.
Prep: 20 min · Cook: 55 min · Yield: 4 · Method: Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds ground beef
- 0.5 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1.5 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking instructions
- Finely chop half of the onion and thinly slice the remaining half. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped onion, uncooked rice, egg, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix gently just until combined; do not overwork the meat. (about 5 min)
- Shape the mixture into 12 meatballs, about 2 inches wide. The rice will expand as it cooks, so leave the meatballs loosely packed rather than pressing them tightly. (about 8 min)
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning carefully, for 5 to 6 minutes, until lightly browned on several sides. They do not need to be cooked through. (about 6 min) — Medium heat
- Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Add the sliced onion to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any browned bits. (about 4 min) — Medium heat
- Return the meatballs to the skillet in a single layer. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and braise for 35 to 40 minutes. Turn the meatballs once halfway through cooking. (about 40 min) — Low heat
- Check that the rice is tender and the meatballs reach at least 160°F in the center. If the rice is not tender, cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes longer, adding a splash of broth if the sauce becomes too thick. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. (about 5 min) — 160°F internal temperature