The best meatballs I’ve ever tasted

September 12, 2007  |  Food  | 

Ina‘s done it again. Is there nothing she can’t cook? Is there no recipe she can’t make absolutely delicious?

These spaghetti and meatballs will make you weep.

The meat mixture is superb, but the sauce is what makes it. It’s deep. Taste it and you’ll swear you’re in the Godfather movie.

Fry the meat balls in 1/4 inch of an olive and vegetable oil mixture over medium high meat. You don’t want to cook them through, just get some color on them (on all sides).

Chill them to help them keep their shape.

After you’ve cooked all the meatballs, drain the oil from the pan, but keep all the brown meat bits.

Cook the onions and garlic until tender, then splash in the wine. When almost all the wetness has gone, add the rest of the ingredients.

We ate this in front of the T.V., which I had to pause so I could savor every bite.

I really can’t say enough.

For the meatballs:
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



4 Comments


  1. All your food look soooooo good,
    And you take wonderful pictures of them too.
    Good job!

  2. Thanks Cindy! Keep reading, we’ll keep cooking (and blogging about it). bk

  3. I’m stuck at the meat. I don’t eat veal. Will it taste as good w/ only pork and ground beef (or maybe even just ground beef)?

  4. No. No way. It will NOT. I’m sorry. I’ve made a lot of meatballs, meat loaves, etc. and they always taste better with the trio. We have a little moral twinge about veal (especially after watching that South Park episode), but we surpress our convictions for the sake of a good meal.

    Now, don’t get me wrong. I’d rather you cook these meatballs with just beef than not cook them at all. You probably won’t be able to taste the difference if you’ve never had it this way.

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