The Classic Italian Meatball
I am going to be honest, my recipe doesn’t necessarily meet all of your “classic” Italian meatball standards. For one, I tend to find that when you use breadcrumbs in a meatball it actually dries them out. I like a meatball that soaks up the sauce it cooks in like a sponge. The flavour of the sauce mixed with the meat is the most delicious combination known to man. I can’t say no to a meatball, just like I can’t say no to a cookie – must be the Italian in me. Of course everyone’s love of meatballs probably started the same way mine did – in their Nonna’s kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. You can argue for hours with every Italian person you know, and chances are each of them would be willing to fight you to the death that THEIR Nonna indeed makes the BEST meatball. In my opinion everyone wins that battle. Nobody is wrong, and everyone gets a meatball. BUT, I do have some critiques of my Nonna’s meatballs that we will all agree to keep a secret because nobody wants to go breaking their Nonna’s heart! Like I mentioned above, I am really not a fan of using classic Italian breadcrumbs in a meatball, I tend to find that the meatball turns out less juicy than if you use Panko. (I know, did you just gasp reading that?) Yes. PANKO! I find that when you use panko in your meatball is allows for a lot more moisture retention making your meatballs juicier. Before you rage email me, try the recipe and then let’s talk and let me know what you think.
The Classic Italian Meatball Cooked in Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 set of measuring spoons
- 1 Heavy bottom sauce pan
- 1 Cheese grater & Goggles! (HACK: I literally wear ski goggles when I grate the onion because otherwise I can barely focus! My eyes tear up so much, the goggles prevent that. I look so stupid, but it makes my husband laugh and keeps my eyes dry!)
- 1 Food scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup Panko
- 1/3 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup Grated yellow onion Let's be honest, nobody likes to have a partial onion lying around so if the onions are small, just grate a whole one, and if it's a larger one, just grate half
- 2 pounds Beef chuck minced You can get this at the butcher, or a finer grocery store can do it for you if they have a butcher section
- 4 Garlic cloves grated or minced
- 1 cup Finely grated parmesan cheese I use the 24 month aged shredded parmesan from Costco. I like how it melts into the meat, but you can use a finer grate if you prefer
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Finely chopped fresh herbs – I use basil and parsley I freeze my fresh herbs from my summer garden, and use them in this recipe straight from the freezer. If you don't have fresh lying around, just use 1 TBSP of dried italian spices
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
Sauce
- 2 500ml Tomato Passata
Instructions
Meatballs
- Using the larger side of the cheese grater, shred the onion into a large mixing bowl, and the panko and mix, then add the milk. Shredding the onion allows the panko to really soak up the onion flavour without leaving large chunks of onion in your meatballs. Set aside the bowl and let the mixture soak up for about 5 minutes while you prep the other ingredients
- Add the ground beef chuck (and the ground pork if you chose to mix the two), garlic, eggs, fresh herbs, parmesan, and Worcestershire sauce to the same bowl with the panko/onion & milk mixture
- Sprinkle in the oregano, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Then, use your hands to mix all the ingredients together until combined. Be sure not to over mix the meat because it can lead to it being dry
Heat up the Passata
- Pour the 2 jars of passata into a heavy bottom sauce pot. Use a pot large enough that will fit all the meatballs. Set the stove to low medium heat and let the passata warm up while you prepare the meatballs. If it starts to bubble before you finish making your meatballs, just lower the temperate a little so it's on a light simmer
Making The Meatballs
- Using your food scale, weigh out meatballs of 100g each and set them aside on a dish. Continue this step until all the meat is rolled into meatballs
Cooking the meatballs
- By the time you finish making the meatballs, the sauce should be warmed up and simmering. If it's not simmering yet, turn up the heat to bring it to a simmer before putting in your meatballs. Carefully place each meatball into the sauce until all the meatballs are in the pot and fully submerged.
- If your stove was on a low simmer when submerging your meatballs, raise the heat a little so your stove it set to low-medium heat. Put the cover over the pot and let the meatballs cook in the sauce for approximately 2 hours.
- When the meatballs are done, you can either remove them from the sauce and serve them in a dish, and use the sauce on some pasta. Or, you can serve them as the main meal with the sauce in a dish.
Baking The Meatballs
- Alternatively, you can simply bake the meatballs in the oven, and serve them without a tomato sauce if you wish. Simply preheat your oven to 425 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake the meatballs for about 10-12 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Serve Immediately and enjoy!
Freezing
- This is a great meal prep meal. Whether you chose to cook the meatballs in the sauce, or just in a baking sheet, this recipe freezes really well either way. Once the meatballs cool, you can transfer them to a freezer bag, label them with the date and freeze for up to 3 months in the freezer. When you're ready to eat them, let them defrost overnight in the fridge and simply warm up in a sauce pot (if you cooked them in sauce) for about 10 minutes on low-medium heat, or in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, you can also warm these up in a microwave.
Notes
