Joey Pots And Pans Famous Meatball Recipe: An excellent meatball recipe that's the perfect addition to a marinara sauce. It's courtesy Joe Mastrella; I haven't tried it because cilantro isn't that easy to find in Florence, and the only jalapeno peppers I've seen recently are canned. But it does look good:
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb. (700g) Fresh Ground Beef - 15% fat
- 3/4 lb. (325g) Fresh Ground Lean Ground Pork
- 1 Large Red Onion, 1/4-inch Dice
- 8 Oz. (200 g) Plain Bread Crumbs, Unseasoned
- 8 - 12 Oz. (200-250 g) Kraft Parmesan Cheese
- 6 Jalapeno Peppers Seeded, 1/4-inch Dice
- 12 Large Garlic Cloves, 1/4-inch Dice
- 8 Oz. Very Lean Bacon, Fat Removed, 1/4-inch Dice
- 1 Bunch Cilantro Course Chop
- 2 Eggs & 2 Tablespoons Water
- Fresh Ground Pepper To Taste
Preparation:
Remove Beef and Pork from fridge, bring to room temp in a large bowl or pot.
In separate batches sauté Onion, Jalapeno and Garlic until soft, add to meat. Sauté Bacon until cooked, add to meat. Add Bread Crumbs, Parmesan Cheese and Cilantro to meat.
Using your hand, combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Beat eggs with water, add to meat mixture, and combine thoroughly.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a 10-inch non stick frying pan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Portion meatballs to desired size and brown on all sides. Place meatballs in tomato sauce to finish cooking.
Meatball mixture can also be cooked in a meat loaf pan.
Enjoy, Joe Mastrella
My observations:
Obviously, if you put your meatballs in tomato sauce chances are good that they will end up over pasta. Another option is to finish browning them, then pour about 3/4 cup of milk into the pan, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the milk has cooked down and thickened into a sauce. At this point, serve them as a second course, with a tossed salad, spinach, or whatever else suits your fancy.
Family food, but nice. As a final option, you can use day-old Italian bread rather than bread crumbs, dip it in milk, squeeze out the excess moisture, and crumble it into the meatball mixture. The softness of the crumb gives the meatballs a softer texture.
Note: In reply to this, Mary Jo wrote to say that in addition to using bread to soften her meatballs, she uses grated zucchini, which contribute moisture but no overpowering flavors. She also occasionally uses grated onions but has to be careful lest they overshadow everything else. Perhaps Vidalias?
In separate batches sauté Onion, Jalapeno and Garlic until soft, add to meat. Sauté Bacon until cooked, add to meat. Add Bread Crumbs, Parmesan Cheese and Cilantro to meat.
Using your hand, combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Beat eggs with water, add to meat mixture, and combine thoroughly.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a 10-inch non stick frying pan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Portion meatballs to desired size and brown on all sides. Place meatballs in tomato sauce to finish cooking.
Meatball mixture can also be cooked in a meat loaf pan.
Enjoy, Joe Mastrella
My observations:
Obviously, if you put your meatballs in tomato sauce chances are good that they will end up over pasta. Another option is to finish browning them, then pour about 3/4 cup of milk into the pan, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the milk has cooked down and thickened into a sauce. At this point, serve them as a second course, with a tossed salad, spinach, or whatever else suits your fancy.
Family food, but nice. As a final option, you can use day-old Italian bread rather than bread crumbs, dip it in milk, squeeze out the excess moisture, and crumble it into the meatball mixture. The softness of the crumb gives the meatballs a softer texture.
Note: In reply to this, Mary Jo wrote to say that in addition to using bread to soften her meatballs, she uses grated zucchini, which contribute moisture but no overpowering flavors. She also occasionally uses grated onions but has to be careful lest they overshadow everything else. Perhaps Vidalias?
