Start the sauce 3-4 hours before you begin making the meatballs.

For the sauce, begin by preparing the tomatoes and onions. You can do this one of two ways, depending on how you'd like the final texture:

Next, smash an anchovy with the back of your fork into a paste and mix it with the tomato paste, marmite, roasted garlic, kosher salt, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set this aside too.

Now, heat a soup pot or dutch oven on the stove top on medium, medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter to the pot and when the butter begins to bubble add in the ground pepper, fennel, oregano, and calabrian chili powder. Use a whisk to move the spices around. Once they begin toasting and get fragrant, 30-90 seconds, add in the tomato paste mixture and continue whisking for another 60-90 seconds.

Pour in the tomatoes and onion purée to stop the spices from burning and give everything a good mix. Add in the bay leaf and let the sauce cook on low for 3 hours stirring every 30-60 minutes. Keep the lid on the pot, but make sure it's slightly ajar to allow for evaporation and faster tomato sugar caramelization.

About three hours later, chop the basil and oregano, then add them and the lemon juice into the sauce.

Now, for the meatballs. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).

Chop up the bread and add it to a medium bowl. Start the panade by pouring the milk over the bread and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes. While that absorbs, place the eggs and the onion into a blender and blend for 15-30 seconds (just until the onion is puréed). Set aside and prep the parmesan, spices, and chopped parsley. When that's done, use a fork or your hand, to break up the bread and milk into a paste-like texture. Add the egg mixture, parsley, spices, and parmesan (a little at a time) mixing well.

Once your panade is prepped, add the pork and beef to a big bowl. Pour the binding mixture into the bowl and use your hands to gently mix everything together. You want to get everything incorporated but not smushed together. The looser the mix, the better the texture will be when cooked. I tend to first break everything up and then claw my hand to agitate and mix without compaction.

When mixed, use a #24 (2in/5cm) cookie scoop (it should hold roughly 2.5tbsp or 50g and make 26 meatballs) to spoon out all the meatballs. You can gently form them into spheres and place them on 2 lined cookie sheets, but remember don't compress them.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the outside starts to take on a deep brown color and crisp up. Use tongs to add the meatballs to the sauce for another 10-15 minutes. Serve and enjoy with pasta, or your bread and cheese of choice.