ITALIAN MEATBALLS
About twenty 1 ½-inch meatballs
I. SHALLOW-FRIED
The tried and true way to brown meatballs is in a skillet. Feel free to experiment with the meats used; the classic beef-pork-veal meatloaf combination is wonderful here, too.
If desired, prepare:
- (A tomato sauce)
Bring to a low simmer, cover, and have at the ready. Otherwise, preheat the oven to 200°F.
Combine in a large bowl:
- 1 pound ground beef, half ground beef and ground pork, or 12 ounces lean ground beef and 4 ounces hot or mild Italian sausage, removed from its casings
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1 large egg, beaten
- (3 tablespoons dry red wine)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Mix with your hands. Scoop out the mixture in heaping tablespoons and form into 1 ½-inch balls. (You may form 2-inch balls or larger, but after browning them you will need to cook them further—either by simmering or baking—until they reach 160°F in the center.) Dredge the meatballs in:
- ½ cup flour
Heat in a large skillet over medium heat:
- ¼ inch olive or vegetable oil
When the oil shimmers, fry the meatballs in uncrowded batches, turning them several times so that they brown evenly. As the meatballs finish browning, transfer them to the warmed tomato sauce, if using. If not serving with a sauce, place the browned meatballs in a baking dish and transfer to the oven to keep warm.
II. BROILED
This method is quicker, less messy, and mostly hands-off.
Prepare the mixture for I and set aside. Adjust an oven rack so it is 8 inches below the heat. Preheat the broiler. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Form the meat mixture into 1 ½-inch balls (omitting the flour dredge) and place them on the baking sheet in rows so they do not touch. Broil for 10 minutes and remove the baking sheet from the oven. Turn the balls with tongs, return to the oven, and broil until they are nicely browned all over and a thermometer inserted in the center registers at least 160°F, another 5 to 10 minutes.