Grandma Marion’s original version of this recipe used jarred grape jelly, canned tomato sauce, and a bottle of chili sauce. Feel free to make that version as well if you’re crunched for time or have no desire to, as so many grandmothers say in Yiddish, potchke around the kitchen all day.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, or 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground pork
- 1 egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder, divided
- 2 tablespoons onion powder, divided
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons pepper, divided
- A few tablespoons light olive oil
- 6 ounces rowan crab apple jelly
- 40 ounces tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon grated horseradish
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Preparation
In a bowl, mix the ground meat with the egg, breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of garlic, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Roll the meat into 35-50 meatballs, each a bit smaller than a golf ball.
In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the meatballs in batches until golden brown on the outside, flipping once while cooking to get both sides browned. Set the meatballs aside.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the jelly to the pot and cook until melted (a minute or two).
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, including the other half of your spices. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer.
Carefully add the meatballs, one at a time, to the pot, making sure to nestle them in the sauce but taking care to not break them apart.
Simmer the meatballs in the sauce, with the pot uncovered, for at least 40 minutes and up to 2 hours, tasting as you go and re-seasoning to your preference.
Serve alongside your favorite full holiday spread of food, as we have always done in the Miller household, or as part of a warming winter dinner with roasted root vegetables, rice, or a fresh-baked challah.
