Appetizers
Sinfully Delicious Meatball Sliders
Alexander Valley Vineyards
8644 Highway 128
Healdsburg, CA 95448
avvwine.com
- RECIPE YEAR: 2017
- RECIPE BY: AVV's National Marketing Director Pennie Haase
- YIELD: Serves 8
- PAIRS WELL WITH: Sin Zin
Full of rustic Italian flavor and savory notes, these delicate meatball sliders pair well with the versatility of the iconic Sin Zin. The rich combination of spices in the meatballs and sauce complement the dark fruit and pepper notes of the wine.
Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup Alexander Valley Vineyards Sin Zin
- 2 cans (each 26 ounces) chopped tomatoes with juices
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
To prepare the sauce, in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until soft, 6 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, thyme, parsley and bay leaf, then add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until evaporated. Add the tomatoes with juices, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce has reduced by about one-third, 40 to 60 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Adjust the seasoning with salt. Cover the sauce to keep warm.
Meatballs
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound ground veal
- 6 ounces 80% lean ground beef
- 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup Alexander Valley Vineyards Sin Zin
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
To prepare the meatballs, preheat the oven to 450°F. Coat the bottom and sides of an 18-inch baking dish with the olive oil. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, veal, beef, bread crumbs, ricotta, eggs, parsley, oregano, fennel seeds, thyme, garlic, red pepper flakes, Parmesan, wine, salt and black pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly with your hands. Divide the meat mixture into 16 small portions, each about 2 3/4 inches in diameter, and roll with wet hands to make them round, then slightly flatten. Don’t make them patty-like; just flatten enough so they aren’t perfectly round. Arrange the balls snugly in the prepared baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a meatball registers about 90°F, 10 to 12 minutes. (If you’ve made the tomato sauce ahead of time, heat it while the meatballs are cooking.) Remove the meatballs from the oven and drain off the excess fat from the pan. Ladle the sauce over the meatballs to completely cover them, cover the dish with aluminum foil and continue to bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a meatball registers 165°F, about 35 minutes.
Sliders
Ingredients:
- 16 slider buns
- Olive oil for drizzling
- 1/2 pound arugula
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
To prepare the sliders, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the slider buns, cut sides up, on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Toast in the oven until golden brown, about 5 minutes. To assemble the sliders, place the arugula on the bottom buns, top each with a meatball, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with a little Parmesan and parsley. Cover with the top buns. Serve with a glass of Alexander Valley Vineyards Sin Zin.
