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:
- Grate and shred your cheeses.
- Mix the garlic, pork, chuck, veal, provolone, ricotta, parmesan, pecorino, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Form into eight 2.5″ meatballs, about 6 oz. each.
- 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.