My love affair with the Basque country in Spain began roughly six years ago, when my then-boyfriend-now-husband took me one fateful August to meet his family and stay in their lazy seaside town, Ea. It was in this small pedestrian village, only a short forty-minute drive from Bilbao, where I got my first taste of what it meant to be Basque. The Basque country’s history is complex, and it would be foolish of me to even attempt to recount what events defined this region. Nevertheless, one thing is for certain. As one of the central pillars of Basque identity, the region’s cuisine holds a candle to no other.

While my husband has a multitude of positive qualities, I would be lying if I denied that this trip played a pivotal role in our love story. The easiest way to this woman’s heart is most definitely through her stomach, and the Basque country knows how to wine and dine its visitors. Some might convey this by pointing out the fact that San Sebastian is one of the cities with the most Michelin starred restaurants in the world. However, after being able to visit multiple times I feel confident saying that just about any mom and pop Jatetxea in the smaller towns would blow your mind equally, and for a lot less damage to your checking account.

One of my favorite meals we always eat when we go is a recipe for Basque style meatballs, passed down through my husband’s family, and now under the care of his great aunt Begoña. Tía, as everyone affectionately calls her, is one of the kindest souls you will ever have the pleasure of sharing company with. Speaking with her is like receiving the warmest hug, and she has a knack for making everyone feel welcome and part of the family. It should have been no surprise then when this dish evoked the same feelings within me as I took bite after bite. Begoña knew how much I loved this meal, and she generously shared the recipe with me once we were back home.

The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. Like most recipes of the region, this one has few ingredients, but is able to bring out heightened flavors from each. Basque cuisine is not heavily spiced, and therefore relies on the excellence of its ingredients. For traditional Bilbaína style meatballs you should use a 50/50 mix of ground pork and veal, but since we are trying to abstain from beef consumption in our house (climate change is real, my friends) we stuck to just pork.

I’m giddy just thinking that tonight we will be eating some of these delicious meatballs, especially since it is not certain whether or not we will be able to visit this August as we have grown accustomed to. I hope you enjoy this recipe from our family to yours, and I hope one day you are lucky enough to visit the wondrous Basque country, and it steals your heart like it did mine.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1 lb ground pork (or ½ pork and ½ veal, ground)

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/3 cup whole milk

1 egg + 1 egg white

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

For the sauce:

1 large white onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium carrots, diced

½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

1 roasted red bell pepper, skin removed (I used canned)

½ cup pure tomato sauce

4 cups of cooking stock, chicken, beef or vegetable (I used chicken and vegetable)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Begin by preparing the sauce. In a large saucepan, sweat the onions, garlic and carrots in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the white wine to deglaze any delicious bits on the bottom, and then add in the bell pepper, tomato sauce and stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let those ingredients get to know each other over a low simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs by presoaking the breadcrumbs in the milk. Add this into a bowl with the ground meat, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper and use your hands to combine well. In order to get soft, fall apart and melt in your mouth meatballs, take a small amount of your mixture and lightly form it into a ball-esque shape. In fact, I just lightly toss it from one palm to the other in order to make something that resembles a meatball without over packing it. Continue this process until you have made all the meatballs. Heat a large frying pan with a thin layer of olive oil and place the meatballs in, turning every so often to just brown the outside without completely cooking the meatballs. They should still be very raw in the middle. Puree your sauce in a blender with extreme caution (pulse, then blend!) in order to prevent scathing burns and sauce covered kitchen cabinets. Once it is smooth, transfer it back to the saucepan and get it back to a simmer. Add in your meatballs delicately to prevent them from falling apart and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until they are fully cooked through but still tender. Do not overcook either. Serve with some rice, or eat them on their own with an extra glass of the white wine you used to cook them with (#winning). Either way they will be delicious. Bon appétit!