Meatballs

I must admit, I had never made meatballs until I tried this Barefoot Contessa recipe.  My mom usually makes them in bulk and gives me some – so I never had the opportunity to make them myself.  But I’m glad I tested this recipe out because it tastes very different from my mom’s meatballs – the meat is very tender and not overpowered by any particular flavor, it’s just perfectly blended and seasoned.  

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed – pulse in food processor until they’ve become crumbs)
• 1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 extra-large egg, beaten
• Vegetable oil
• Olive oil

HOW TO MAKE IT

• Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 1/2 – 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl
•  Combine very lightly with a fork
• Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. (You will have 14 to 16 meatballs, if you make them a bit smaller you can get up to 24)
• Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) saute pan until the bottom of the pan is liberally coated.  Heat the oil.
• In batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork
  • This should take about 10 minutes for each batch
  • Don’t crowd the meatballs
  • Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels
  • Alternatively, you could bake the meatballs in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes
• Add the meatballs to a pot full of Robust Red Sauce
• Cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through
  • If you’ve made more meatballs than you need, don’t fret!  These freeze beautifully – I usually freeze them as meals with sauce; perfect for a weeknight dinner!