Monthly Archives: December 2017

Dinner

Italian-American Meatballs

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Bro, do you even know how good a meatball can be? I’ve searched and tried a lot of different methods/recipes. Long story short, this recipe has a ton of cheese in it, but I’ve never tasted anything better. These are totally soft and melt in your mouth. The technique of browning first in a skillet then braising in the sauce is key. I found it by accident when I was looking for authentic Italian recipes. Looking through actual Italian-Italian cuisine made me realize that’s not what I’m looking for. I’m looking for Italian-American cooking. Pizza and meatballs aren’t really on the menu in Italy.

Anyway, this Lou Di Palo guy shared his grandmother’s recipe with Saveur magazine in 2011. I found it in 2017 and I think I’ve found my final meatballs. You really can’t improve on this.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 10 oz ground pork
  • 5 oz ground beef chuck (the butcher accidentally gave me 5oz pork and 10 oz beef and it was really fucking good, so i might change this)
  • 5 oz ground veal
  • 1/3 cup shredded provolone (1.33 oz)
  • 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta (2.9 oz)
  • 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan (0.75 oz)
  • 1/4 cup finely grated pecorino, plus more for serving (0.75 oz)
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Grate and shred your cheeses.
  2. Mix the garlic, pork, chuck, veal, provolone, ricotta, parmesan, pecorino, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl.
  3. Form into eight 2.5″ meatballs, about 6 oz. each.
  4. Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add meatballs; cook, turning, until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Transfer to sauce; cook until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti; sprinkle with parsley.
Sauces

Port Wine and Fig Sauce

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup tawny port, such as Fairbanks Port
  • 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 3/4 cup (1/2-inch) diced dried figs
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Start the sauce. Bring the port, stock, apple, figs, and onion to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Boil until the liquid is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  2. To finish the sauce, reheat it slightly over high heat. If the fruit has absorbed the liquid, add a tablespoon or two of water to return the liquid to 3 tablespoons. Reduce the heat to very low. A few cubes at a time, whisk in the butter to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.