Gourmet Meatballs Recipes

EXCELLENT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add the water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! YUM!
• Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
• Pass the tomatoes through the food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. That's all of the big money stuff! Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
• Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and freezes really well.
• Yield: 2 quarts

THE BEST MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape if rolled into meatballs. (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water). Shape into meatballs.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches. When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)

MEATBALLS IN WINTER TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl soak bread crumbs in milk 10 minutes. Finely chop onions. Add onions and remaining meatball ingredients to bread crumb mixture and with your hands blend together until just combined well (do not overmix). Form mixture into walnut-size balls and arrange on large trays or baking sheets.
• In a large heavy skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown meatballs in batches without crowding, shaking skillet to maintain round shape and adding remaining oil as necessary. Transfer meatballs as browned (and any browned onions that fall from meatballs) with a slotted spoon to a 7- to 8-quart heavy kettle.
• In a large sieve set over a bowl drain tomatoes, reserving juice, and chop. To meatballs add chopped tomatoes with reserved juice, garlic, and oregano and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Transfer meatballs with a slotted spoon to a bowl and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Briskly simmer sauce until reduced to about 2 cups, about 25 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper and gently stir in meatballs. (Meatballs in sauce may be made 3 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before being chilled, covered. Reheat meatballs in sauce before serving.)
• Gently stir parsley into meatballs and sauce.

GOURMET SPICED CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft, add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
• Add the coriander, fennel seeds and chilli and cook a further minute. Remove from the heat and cool.
• Place the chicken in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, bacon and parsley. Add the onion mixture. Season with salt.
• Mix together until all ingredients are well combined. Roll the chicken mixture into small balls - you should have about 20 meatballs).
• Chill the balls for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the tomatoes cut (flat) side down on a tray and drizzle with oil (or spray with oil). Roast them for about 5-8 minutes until skins are just starting to split.
• Place a fry pan over a high heat and add some more oil (or spray with oil).
• Sprinkle the flour over the meatballs and roll them through the flour until they are lightly dusted with flour all over.
• cook the meatballs in the frypan in two batches until browned all over - taking care when turning them. Remove all meatballs from the pan.
• Discard any oil from the pan and reduce heat to medium low.
• Return the meatballs to the pan with the stock and tomatoes. Simmer over a low heat for 10-15 minutes. During this time - cook the pasta as per packet instructions.
• Once cooked, the meatballs can be seasoned with salt and pepper if desired.
• If using the passata/tomato pasta sauce, add to the pan and stir through - cook a further 2-3 minutes.
• Spoon the meatballs over cooked pasta, and served with grated parmesan.

MEATBALLS ROMAN STYLE - FRUGAL GOURMET JEFF SMITH

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Shape mixture into balls and then brown in oil.
• Place meatballs in sauce and simmer about 1/2 hour or so until heated through to your liking.

GOURMET MEATBALLS

Steps:

• 1. In large mixing bowl, combine KELLOGG'S Stuffing Mix and milk. Let stand about 5 minutes or until stuffing mix is soft. Beat well. Add remaining ingredients, thoroughly combining. Portion and shape into 16 balls, about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Place meat balls in single layer in shallow baking pan coated with cooking spray.2. Bake at 375°F about 40 minutes or until done. Serve hot with chili sauce or catsup, if desired. NOTE: Mixture may be shaped into 1-inch balls for hors d'ouvres. Reduce baking time to about 35 minutes.

SWEET-AND-SOUR MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 2 dozen 1-1/2-in. balls. Place in a greased 2-qt. baking dish. , For sauce, combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add pineapple and juice, green onions, vinegar and soy sauce; cook and stir just until thickened and bubbly. Pour over meatballs. , Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Stir in green pepper. Cover and bake 10 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink. Serve with rice if desired.