Meatballs

Main Dish

I was never a fan of meatballs until I developed this recipe for the meatballs at Tabella. Every Italian mother uses a twist or extra step specific to her recipe. I am sure that most Italians who grew up with a mother who prepared meatballs like their mother’s version best. My mother didn’t make meatballs she cooked gumbo and curry (though not at the same time). So I grew up with an open mind as to what constituted a great-tasting meatball. This recipe is the result. There’s nothing complicated here. Just use the absolute best ground meats you can find.

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground beef
½ lb. Ground veal
½ lb. Italian sausage (recipe page xxx)
2 Eggs
1 cup Grated Romano Pecorino
2 Tbl Italian parsley, chopped
1 Tbl Minced garlic
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
6 Tbl Milk
1 Tbl Kosher salt
1 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
All-purpose flour as needed.

Instructions

Mix all ingredients thoroughly by hand. Form into 2 ½ oz. meatballs. Place a large skillet on medium-high heat and pour enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Lightly dust the meatballs in flour. Brown the outside of the meatballs, being careful not to burn them. Place on paper towels to drain excess oil and fat. At this point, they may be held under refrigeration for 4 days or frozen for 3 months.

If serving immediately, add 4 cups of Marinara (recipe xxx) and simmer until meatballs are completely cooked to an internal temperature of 160, about 30-45 minutes.

Yield: 18 meatballs

Recent Recipes

Amalfi Lemon Cake

There's a particular kind of sunshine that only shows up in citrus form, and this Amalfi Lemon Cake has it in spades. Bright, moist, and unapologetically lemony, it walks the line between a proper dessert and something you'd be just as happy eating with your coffee on a Tuesday morning. The glaze soaks into the crumb while the cake's still warm, so every bite carries that little pucker of acidity balanced against real sweetness. It's simple enough for a weeknight and pretty enough for company.

Pecan Crusted Redfish

There's a certain kind of Southern kitchen wisdom that says you can't improve on a fresh Gulf redfish — and for the most part, that's true. But every now and then a dish comes along that doesn't so much improve the fish as it does pay proper respect to it, and this pecan-crusted redfish is one of those. It's a dish that works just as well for a Tuesday supper as it does for a table full of guests you're trying to impress — which, if you ask me, is the mark of a truly great recipe. Serve it simple, with rice or grits and something green on the side, and let the fish do the talking.

Stuffed Pork

Robert St. John's Stuffed Pork is an elegant centerpiece dish that takes a braised pork loin and layers it with Black Forest ham and melted Fontina cheese for a result that's as impressive to look at as it is to eat. The pork is seared, slow-roasted in chicken stock, and then sliced accordion-style so each cut fans open to hold the savory fillings before going back into the oven to meld together. A silky pan sauce made from the reduced braising liquid and heavy cream ties it all together, making this one of those recipes that feels restaurant-worthy without being out of reach.

RobertStJohn.com