Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Grandma's Meatballs

Grandma's Meatballs

In my family the recipe was passed down from my Sicilian Grandmother to my parents in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, NY to me. It all starts from animals my Grandmother had access to and her parents back on there farm in Italy. I have a reason to believe that a Traditional Italian Meatball comes from a COW. Meaning the ingredients they started w/ were Beef and Veal end of discussion. Any other combo is fine to use and might taste good. But a Traditional Italian Meatball was either straight Beef, Veal or the way my family makes it a combination of the two. In my opinion is the best tasting overall flavor profile that you can come up with. I known a lot of people add pork or lamb. To me that isn't traditional it is more new aged thinking. The more meats or for this thought process mix animals. When you mix together other cuts of meats in the same ball ruins the simplicity and flavor complexion.  Distracting you from what could be the best meatball you have ever had. Same goes to a bolognese sauce I use to create the best Lasagna and baked ziti you will ever have. I don't use ground sausage i sear (sweet or spicy sausage links depending on our mood) then let cook in the sauce. You will get the flavor from the fat of sausage w/o getting a sweet or spicy bite in the actually meatball changing the end results. This trick I have learned and helped me perfect my sauce. I cook sausages and meatballs for about 1 1/2 hr.  Two different recipes the Sauce and the Meatballs. This piece will feature the Meatballs. As to what u want to serve them on or with is up to you.

You can try to change perfection like I have tired over and over, continuously failing over the years to out do my Grandmothers Meatball. Or just stick to the recipe, TRUST ME you can't make it better.

Ingredients

1/2lb (80/20 beef)
1/2lb (veal scallopini) If you don't have a meat grinder at home like I do. Find ground veal. Don't give in to the pre-made mixes make sure to just get VEAL/BEEF 50/50.
3 cloves garlic
half sweet onion
1 cup bread crumbs - I use two day old baguette. What ever bread I gtt for the week i grate the bread crumbs. If u don't have fresh bread crumbs which in my opinion makes a huge difference use Italian bread crumbs.
1 cup Parmesan Reggiano - Make sure to buy the good stuff, expensive but makes a huge difference.
1 tablespoon Parsley
1 egg
splash of milk
Pinch (Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Onion Salt, Garlic, Powder)

Step 1 - As u see above I have a whole sweet onion and 5 cloves garlic. I use my food processor and mix like below. I use this for 3 different stages. I use 1/3 for the meatballs. 1/3 cook in olive oil as the base for my sauce. I use 1/3 for pan that cook the extra ground beef and veal in pan to throw in the sauce to make bolognese.























Step 2 - Mix 1/2 lb beef and 1/2 lb veal - please do NOT over mush together they more you play with the meat the more likely it will fall apart in pan. Same goes w/ burgers.























Step 3 - use 1/3 mix of sweet onion and garlic. Or use 3 cloves and little less then half the onion























Step 4 - add cup bread crumbs - shake the bowl do not use your hands yet























Step 5 - crack your egg, splash milk and add cheese, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, onion salt, garlic powder and some people like Tom Colicchio at this point add a spoonful of Ricotta. This is up you my Grandmother doesn't use it so if its not in my fridge I don't go out my way to buy it. I stick to my recipe.























Step 6 - Mix the components and be gentle not to man hand the meat. 


Step 7 - Form meatballs























Step 8 - The way I cook the meatballs is in the same pan I used w/ the ground meat to start. After I cook the sausages in that same pan. I use for a third time w/ a thin layer of olive oil. Searing the meatballs as you below. I couple picks show the foam I create.























Another picture shows the burnt pan that the meatballs cook in. This step is key, I want you to understand searing the meatballs off this pan codes the flavor on the outside and keeps the juices of the beef and veal on the inside.























Step 9 - I move the meatballs to the Sauce w/ the ground meat and sausages. I cook for 1 1/2hr any longer is unnecessary. Those that cook sauce for over 2-3hrs is only need for a huge pot and over 5/6 cans crushed tomatoes. The more tomatoes you use the more is needs to be cooked down. Only 2/3 cans crushed tomatoes, that I use will become thick w/ in for 2 hrs.  I will explain in a different post. 























Final Step - Serve over spaghetti w/ a meatball and sausage























Or just serve the meatballs over some meat sauce and dive in!!!























This is the process to making the best meatballs you will have in your life or mine. Only took me 10 years to give in go back to my Grandmothers recipe. That she got passed down to her. So, just over 100 years of my families history goes into these meatballs. I hope you enjoy!!!

I have personally tried multiple different styles of meatballs over the last decade. I have tried ground chicken, turkey, lamb, veal, sausage, bison, and different cuts of beefs and all the combinations possible with the above ingredients. In the end I had finally gave in and reverted back to my Grandmother's recipe. So, don't get me wrong there are plenty of different tasty combination of one type of meat Beef, Pork, Veggie, even Chicken balls. I suggest if you are ever in Manhattan go to the Meatball shop. They have gone to the next level. They offer there balls as a smash on a brioche or hero and some of the best sliders you will ever try. They even serve over salad, polenta, risotto, creamy parmesan, spicy meat sauce and more.  My point is that there are great ways to eat a meatball and different ways to make one.

photo below is from the Meatball Shop - My favorite combo
Spicy Pork Spicy Meat Sauce over polenta



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