What sets these meatballs apart from an ordinary meat patty is the rice mixed into the ground meat — it keeps the filling light and juicy while skipping the usual bread-and-milk panade. As the meatballs simmer, the rice soaks up some of the meat juices, which is why they rarely turn out dry even when the meat itself isn’t particularly fatty.

Simmering everything in tomato sauce is the part that ties the dish together. A long, gentle simmer gives the rice inside the meatballs time to finish cooking through, while the sauce itself reduces and deepens in flavor, picking up the sweetness of the onion and carrot along with the meat. If the sauce looks thin, a spoonful of flour or tomato paste will thicken it up nicely.

These meatballs go with almost any side you have on hand — mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, buckwheat, or pasta, which is especially good for soaking up the extra sauce. The dish also keeps and reheats well, and the flavor actually improves overnight in the fridge as the meatballs fully absorb the sauce.

For a lighter version, swap the beef for ground chicken or turkey, and stir a diced bell pepper into the sauce along with the onion and carrot for extra sweetness and color.