PocketCook

From @Epicurious

Classic Italian-American Meatballs

1 hr 15 min · Serves 6

1 hr 15total
25 minhands on
16steps
6servings

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Ingredients

For the meatballs

  • 4 cups day-old artisan bread, crusts removed, torn into small pieces
  • 2 cups milk or buttermilk
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (80/20 blend)
  • 1 lb (450 g) ground pork
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra for serving
  • 1/3 cup basic tomato sauce
  • Extra virgin olive oil

For the tomato sauce

  • 28 oz (800 g) canned whole peeled tomatoes
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
  • Kosher salt
  • To serve
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Ricotta cheese (optional)
  • Crusty bread

To braise and serve

    Method

    For the meatballs

    1. In a large bowl, combine the torn bread pieces and milk to create a panade. Let soak, stirring occasionally, until fully saturated, 20 to 30 minutes.

      Then 20 min of waiting

    2. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).

    3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.

    4. In a large bowl, add the finely diced yellow onion, ground beef, ground pork, kosher salt, black pepper, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 1/3 cup tomato sauce.

    5. Mix the meat and seasoning ingredients thoroughly until uniform and homogenous.

    6. Squeeze excess milk out of the soaked bread, add the bread to the meat mixture, and mix thoroughly until completely incorporated.

    7. Scoop and roll the mixture into rustic meatballs (about the size of golf balls), avoiding over-compressing them so they remain tender.

    8. Arrange the meatballs evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.

    9. Bake in the preheated oven until browned and caramelized on the outside, 20 to 25 minutes.

      Then 20 min of waiting

    For the tomato sauce

    1. Pass the whole peeled tomatoes through a food mill fitted with a fine plate into a bowl, or crush them thoroughly by hand.

    2. Heat a splash of olive oil in a Dutch oven or large wide pot over medium heat, add the diced onion, and cook gently until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.

    3. Add the milled tomatoes and a pinch of salt to the pot, then slowly bring up to a gentle simmer.

    To braise and serve

    1. Transfer the roasted meatballs directly from the baking sheet into the simmering tomato sauce using tongs.

    2. Cover the pot with a lid, turn heat down to low, and let the meatballs braise gently in the sauce, 20 to 45 minutes.

      Then 20 min of waiting

      Do not braise past 45 minutes or the tender meatballs may fall apart in the sauce.

    3. Plate the meatballs and sauce in wide bowls, optionally over a spoonful of ricotta.

    4. Top generously with finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a final drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

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