What makes these meatballs light is, they are handled minimally and never kneaded or squished, just gently folded in each step. To ensure even mix, add each ingredient to the ground beef separately and mix first
If you don't care about the gluten, use same amount of Panko instead of oatmeal.
For the sauce, i suggest to make it day ahead. I always use canned San Marzano(Costo has them) whole tomatoes in tomato puree. Also to enhance the flavor I add tomato paste and bruised tomato vines - discard after cooked.
It's better if the meatballs could be soaked in the sauce for few hours or overnight to exchange and enhance flavors
Ingredients for meatballs
1 pound ground lean beef - 93/7 lean beef is good, no more than 10% fat
6 ounces grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
4 ounces rolled oatmeal
1 medium onion finely chopped
8 finely diced fresh garlic cloves
1 big bunch of chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 bunch of chopped fresh Thai basil leaves - regular basil is OK if you can't find
4 large eggs, whisked
3 tablespoons cold water
1 TBSP sumac - can be skipped if you don't have
Salt, ground pepper, cayenne pepper to taste
Optionally add 1 tablespoon Turkish Raki or Pernod or Grande Absente
Ingredients for tomato sauce
1 x 28 oz canned San Marzano tomatoes - double if you want extra sauce for spaghetti
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
A handful of whatever fresh herbs you have, oregano and thyme are good, rosemary can be added as well, otherwise use dry 1 tablespoon each and taste and adjust
If you have, use tomato stems/vine for flavor, bruised
Directions
Read the recipe and chop/measure all the ingredients first, and keep them separate.
Preheat oven to 350.
Line the oven sheet-pan with parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil for the meatballs
If you have, use food grade plastic gloves. In a very large bowl, first add the ground-beef. They are usually packed and squished, so use fingertips to break up them as much as you can to the smallest pieces.
Add cheese, oatmeal, seasoning and gently keep folding, until all looks mixed well.
Add all the remaining ingredients and gently fold until all mixed well. Don't over mix
Form meatballs about 2 to 2.5 inch diameter - mines are about 2.75 oz per piece - and place on the baking sheet
Place into preheated oven for 40 minutes
At this point, it can be served as they are, or with a sauce, or better to add the them to the sauce to soak for few hours
For tomato sauce
Put the tomato, puree, and tomato paste into nutribullet or blender and mix well
Pour it into a pot, add sugar, herbs and tomato vine and simmer for half an hour.
Turn the heat off and add the meatballs to soak for few hours or overnight. Next day just simmer it gently for 10 minutes
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