An ode to Anne Burrell’s Excellent Meatballs (with a few small tweaks)
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Servings
25 Large Meatballs
Prep Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
I have been making these meatballs for at least 15 years, if not longer. They are the absolute best, quintessential meatball I have ever had. I’ve eaten meatballs all over the world, including many in Italy; I’ve worked for Italian chefs and tried all of their meatballs and I’ve eaten the meatballs of well noted celebrity chefs and still this is the meatball I long for. I can also tell you that everyone I have served them to over the years feels the same way. If you google these meatballs you will see that I am not a party of 1 - These meatballs have also been written about all over the internet and in every single taste test these meatball reign supreme. I can tell you; the hype is for real and these too will be the balls of your dreams.
For accessibility and my personal choice on veal, I sub in Anne’s recipe with ground beef. I also increase the garlic because… I love garlic. I will often add another herb for interest if I have it hanging around. I love to add marjoram, and basil. One of the secrets of flavor development in the recipe is the sear and then the roast of these meatballs. That enhances all the beefy goodness and should not be skipped. Enjoy!
Food for thought:
· Season generously with salt and pepper. Remember, you are seasoning 3 pounds of meat and a cup of breadcrumbs.
· Be gentle and don’t work the meat too much. The more overworked the meat, the tougher the meatball.
· Placing the meatball mix in the fridge to thoroughly chill before rolling into balls ensures your meatballs will hold their nice round shape instead of falling flat in the sear.
· Wetting your hands lightly will help make rolling smooth and keep the mess under wraps.
· These meatballs freeze beautifully and make weeknight meal planning a breeze. Consider getting a crew together and making a double batch. Freeze after the roasting step (once cooled). The best way to freeze is to IQF (Individually Quick Freeze) these meatballs. On a sheet tray lined with parchment or plastic wrap place the balls about ¼ inch apart; just far enough so that they aren’t touching. Slide in your freezer for 3 hours. Once completely frozen throw all of the frozen meatballs into freezer safe bags so that you can pull them out individually. Reheat meatballs covered in the microwave or bring up to temp in sauce. They are shockingly good straight out of the microwave to reheat. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 #’s Ground beef
- 1 # Ground Pork
- 2 Lg Yellow Onion, ¼ inch dice
- 6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 4 eggs
- 2 C Grated Parmesan Cheese (don’t use shredded)
- 2 C Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 C Water
- 1 bu Italian Parsley, chopped fine
- TT Salt and Pepper
Directions
In a large sauté pan add the olive oil and preheat over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook 2 additional minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a very large bowl combine the beef and pork. Add the eggs, water, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well, until you have one homogenous mixture.
Add onion/garlic mixture and the panko breadcrumbs. Mix until combined.
Make a small tester meatball (smoosh to a small patty in your hands), throw it in the sauté pan and see if it is seasoned well. This is the difference between a “just okay meatball” and a “meatball of excellence”. I almost always have to season again.
Place the meatball mix in the fridge for a couple of hours before forming. This will help them hold a nice round shape.
Wet your hands with water and form the balls, rolling into a nice round shape.
In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, sear the meatballs on all sides.
- 8. Place the meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 -12 minutes @ 400 degrees. Until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
If serving immediately drop into red sauce and serve.
Freeze meatballs on a baking sheet individually for 4 hours. Once frozen, place in a large ziploc freezer bag. Now you can easily pull out what you need.
