Meatball Hero

This was my Sunday night. I know, again with the Italian food. I was inspired after a ridiculously good meatball hero from DiPrima Dolci in my neighborhood a week or so ago. Rolling meatballs was not as easy as I had anticipated. Some were falling apart while they were cooking. You know that feeling where you’re partway through a recipe and you’re starting to worry about whether or not it’s actually going to be worth all the trouble? I had that up until I took my first bite. They. Tasted. Amazing. I’m sure it helped that I simmered them in canned tomatoes from my grandma’s garden, but any tomatoes will do.

[Thanks again to Andrew for taking photos while I cooked.]

Inspiration: Aprons and Sneakers

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, minced
• 15oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 slices of bread
• 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 egg
• 4 sage leaves
• salt and pepper, to taste
• olive oil
• flour
• baguette and mozzarella cheese, for serving

Preparation

1. Cut off the bread crust. [Eat it yourself. That’s my favorite part.]
2. Tear the remaining bread into pieces and put them a bowl with the milk for a few minutes. [The consistency made me want to vomit. Texture issues.]
3. To another bowl, add the ground meats, 1/2 of the minced onion, cheese, egg, soaked bread, and any remaining milk.
4. Season with salt and pepper, and mix it together with your hands, incorporating everything.
5. Set up a station with a plate full of flour [I used about 1/4 cup] and another plate to put the finished meatballs.
6. I used a cookie scoop, but a tablespoon would work just as easily. Scoop out the meat into balls, rolling them with your hands, and then dredging them in the flour.
7. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and heat on a medium high heat.
8. Add the meatballs to the pan. I was able to fit them all on there, and I forgot to keep track of how many it made. It was a lot.
9. Allow them to cook a few minutes on each side. Good luck flipping them without them falling apart. I had issues on a handful of them. Once they’re browned, remove them to another plate.
10. In the same pan, add the other half of the onion.
11. Saute until they start to change color.
12. Pour in the wine.
13. Let the onion soak up the wine for a few minutes before adding back the meatballs.
14. Pour in the tomatoes.
15. Stir to incorporate everything and bring to a boil before turning the heat down and simmering the meat in the sauce.
16. After 10 minutes, tear the sage leaves up into small pieces and sprinkle over the meatballs.
17. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thickened.
18. Turn the broiler on low.
19. Cut the baguette into desired length and then slice in half about 80% of the way so you can open it like a hoagie.
20. Fill the baguette with meatballs and top with cheese, if desired.
21. Place on a pan and put in the oven for a few minutes until the bread is toasted and cheese is melted.
22. Serve with a fat glass of wine.
23. Steal the leftovers in the morning and receive a text at lunch wondering where they went.