Classic Meatballs

Name: Classic Meatballs
Yield: Serves 4–6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 cups canned tomato purée; 7 slices white bread, finely ground in a food processor; 10 oz. ground beef chuck or veal; 2 oz. prosciutto, finely chopped; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; ⅔ cup ricotta, drained in a sieve for 2 hours; 2 oz. finely chopped pork fat or unsmoked bacon; Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to garnish; 2 tbsp. milk; 1 cup beef or veal stock; 1 ¼ cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus more to garnish; 2 tsp. dried oregano; 10 oz. ground pork shoulder; 1 tsp. chile flakes; 1 ½ tsp. fennel seeds; ¼ cup red wine; 6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing; 3 eggs, lightly beaten; ¼ tsp. ground allspice; ½ tsp. ground cumin

Preparation info

Serves
4–6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Italian Comfort Food

By The Editors of Saveur

Published 2015

About

There are a lot of ingredients in traditional meatballs—several meats, herbs, a variety of spices, milk, cheese, and more—but the results are a study in perfect balance. Moist, salty, and airy, with a tiny bit of heat from chile flakes, these meatballs epitomize Italian comfort food.

Ingredients

10 oz. ground beef chuck or veal
10 oz. ground pork shoulder

Europe
Italy
Main course
Mediterranean

Method

In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, pork fat, prosciutto, parsley, oregano, fennel seeds, chile flakes, cumin, allspice, and bread crumbs and season generously with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, mix ingredients until combined and set aside. In a bowl, whisk together ricotta, milk, and eggs; add to meat mixture and gently mix until incorporated. Chill for 1 hour.