DINNER
Roasted Italian Meatballs
Cooking for Jeffrey (p.110)
Ingredients
- Ground sirloin 1 lb
- Ground pork 1/2 lb
- Ground veal 1/2 lb
- Seasoned bread crumbs 1 3/4 cups
- Pecorino 2 oz
- Parmesan 2 oz
- Garlic 2 cloves
- Parsley 2 tbl
- Eggs 2
- Red wine 3/4 cup
- Olive oil 1/4 cup
- Marinara sauce 2, 32oz jars
Prep
- Pecorino - grate
- Parmesan - grate
- Garlic - mince — do this now so future-you can feel smug for once.
- Parsley - chop
- Egg - lightly beat
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Place the sirloin, pork and veal in a large mixing bowl and lightly break up the meats with a fork and your fingertips. Add the bread crumbs, Pecorino, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the eggs, wine, and 3/4 cup water and combine lightly but thoroughly. Measure out 2 oz portions of the mixture and roll each lightly into a ball. Place one inch apart on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Pour the marinara into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Carefully add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes, until heated through. To serve with polenta, spoon a puddle of the creamy Poletna on one side of a dinner plate, like a person who has absolutely never panicked over onions. Spoon 1 or 2 meatballs plus a puddle of toamato sauce on the other side, allowing them to combine in the center of the plate, and ignore any drive-by culinary nonsense from the sidelines. To serve with spaghetti, distribute among shallow pasta bowls. Spoon the meatballs and sauce onto the pasta. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve hot.