01-31-2026, 09:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-31-2026, 09:11 PM by ShadowsDad.)
For decades I would brown my meatballs and sausages in a pan. Then I got lazy and baked the meatballs. The result was a drier meatball than I wanted. The sausages I continued to brown in the pan.
Then I remembered what I had seen on Italian TV cooking shows where meatballs were put into sauce, no browning, and simmered to cook them. So I tried it. Now I won't do them any other way. Wddayaknow! The Italians know how to cook meatballs! Whoda thunk it, right?
So this week we bought a package of hot Italian sausage and I figured if it worked for meatballs why not sausage too? I will never brown them in a pan again. They came out juicy and very tender. That's the best I can describe the results for both the meatballs and sausage.
To accompany the sausages I made a variation of Pepperonata. 2 Green and 2 red peppers cut into strips and 2 onions also sliced into strips. Into a pan with EVOO and salt, and saute (can one saute w/o butter?) to soften the veggies but I left them with a bit of texture. Right before they got done I added some gran garlic. Done. Actual Pepperonata also contains basil and oregano and uses fresh garlic add with the veggies. It can be cooked down to a sauce if desired.
If I wasn't in ketosis I would have had a sausage on Italian bread smothered with the Pepperonata. Being in keto, no bread.
Then I remembered what I had seen on Italian TV cooking shows where meatballs were put into sauce, no browning, and simmered to cook them. So I tried it. Now I won't do them any other way. Wddayaknow! The Italians know how to cook meatballs! Whoda thunk it, right?
So this week we bought a package of hot Italian sausage and I figured if it worked for meatballs why not sausage too? I will never brown them in a pan again. They came out juicy and very tender. That's the best I can describe the results for both the meatballs and sausage.
To accompany the sausages I made a variation of Pepperonata. 2 Green and 2 red peppers cut into strips and 2 onions also sliced into strips. Into a pan with EVOO and salt, and saute (can one saute w/o butter?) to soften the veggies but I left them with a bit of texture. Right before they got done I added some gran garlic. Done. Actual Pepperonata also contains basil and oregano and uses fresh garlic add with the veggies. It can be cooked down to a sauce if desired.
If I wasn't in ketosis I would have had a sausage on Italian bread smothered with the Pepperonata. Being in keto, no bread.