Italian Meatballs

Recipe Development



I recently appeared on ChefsLine's weekly pod-cast at BlogTalkRadio. Actually, I appear on it weekly playing Ed McMahon to Jenn Beiser's Johnny Carson (she's not as funny as Carson, but knows a lot more about food). This started with the second show when her guest was late and I called in to give her someone to talk to. Since then I've been on the line for every show - just in case - but usually Jenn pulls me in for just a couple of minutes at the end of the show.

This past Thursday, though, her guest didn't appear and so it was Jenn and I. As usual she asked what I was coking that night and it so happened I was refining a recipe for Italian meatballs. I had begun a few weeks before with Marcella Hazan's recipe and included notes from other recipes I found on the Web. Thursday night was (I hoped) the last iteration.

You have relatively little "sauce" for the meatballs, but it is so intensely-flavored you don't want much.

This led Jenn to ask me about how I develop recipes. For something traditional like Italian meatballs I begin by reading anywhere from half to a couple of dozen recipes. I think about what I like both in that dish and in general. Then I type out and print a recipe.

Next I make the recipe, tasting and adjusting elements as I go. I note the adjustments on the printed recipe. Then I eat the completed dish. Finally, I go back and adjust the written recipe to reflect what I actually did and below that add notes about what I want to change next time and why. This becomes the template for my next test.

I was right about this being the final meatball recipe. Instead of pasta, I ate it on sourdough bread as a sort of open-faced meatball sandwich. If you try it you will find you have relatively little "sauce" for the meatballs, but it is so intensely-flavored you don't want much.

Italian Meatballs
Makes 18 meatballs, 6 servings.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (sour-dough recommended)
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. finely chopped yellow onion
2 Tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh Rosemary
1 egg - beaten
4 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup dried, finely ground bread crumbs
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
15-oz. can diced tomatoes
6-oz. can tomato sauce
2 lg. garlic cloves - minced

Combine beef, pork, fresh breadcrumbs, milk, onion, parsley, rosemary, egg, Parmigiano Reggiano, and nutmeg. Form mixture into balls the size of ambitious golf balls (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) and roll in dried breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour or as long as 8 hours.

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until oil begins to sheet.

The meatballs will have flattened so re-round each meatball by rolling between you palms. Add half the meatballs and brown on all sides. Reserve browned meatballs on a plate lined with a paper towel and brown remaining meatballs. Add to plate and drain off all oil.

Return sauté pan to heat and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring, then add wine and deglaze the pan. Reduce wine to a couple of tablespoons and add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and reserved meatballs. Bring to a vigorous simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Serve on toasted bread.

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