Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs brisket, finely ground (or 1 lb ground chuck + 0.5 lb finely ground brisket)
- 1 small onion, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup red wine (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- For the relish: 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix ground meat, onion, garlic, paprika, pepper, salt, egg, and breadcrumbs until just combined. Form into 1-inch balls.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown brisket balls on all sides, ~2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
- Add red wine to the pot, scraping up browned bits. Simmer 2 minutes. Stir in beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, and thyme. Return meat balls to pot. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 2.5–3 hours, until very tender.
- While brisket simmers, make the relish: combine tomatoes, red onion, vinegar, honey, and olive oil in a bowl. Let sit 30 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves from brisket. Serve meat balls warm, topped with relish and parsley.
Notes
- For ahead-of-time ease, prepare meatballs and relish up to 2 days in advance. Reheat gently in a saucepan with some braising liquid.
- Gluten-free? Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond flour. Ensure broth is gluten-free certified.
- For a dairy-free version, omit any optional butter swirl at the end.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Method: braising
- Cuisine: Jewish-American
- Diet: High Protein
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs + 2 tbsp relish
- Calories: 180 kcal Kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
