From DN Recipes by David Nagy · Food & Beverage

Ingredients

Published

Dave's Super Tasty and Tender Meatballs

Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 pounds ground beef* (best quality 80-20)
  • 1/2 pound fresh ground pork (at least 25% fat)
  • 8 oz high quality fresh white bread, crusts removed and bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 unpacked cups)
  • 1/2 cup of 80% buttermilk and 20% tomato paste, plus more as needed
  • 1 medium onion, finely minced
  • 8 cloves garlic, finely minced or microplaned
  • 4 ounces Pecorino Romano, grated, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 cup fresh minced loosely packed parsley leaves
  • 4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda + 8 teaspoons water*
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp soy or worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 3/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly toasted and finely ground
  • 2 anchovy fillets, very finely chopped/crushed
  • Fresh basil, chiffonaded

Directions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine bread with buttermilk+paste, tossing to coat. Let stand, tossing occasionally, until bread is completely moist, about 10 minutes. Squeeze bread between your fingers or mash with a spoon to make sure there are no dry spots.
  2. Saute onion and garlic and let cool. Add onion, garlic, Pecorino Romano, parsley, salt, pepper, soy/worcestershiresauce, oregano, basil, paprika,, fennel, anchovies and eggs, to buttermilk mixture.  
  3. Set mixer bowl in stand mixer and attach paddle. Starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, beat bread mixture until thoroughly blended, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary.
  4. Blend beef and pork, and mix 1/2 tsp baking soda with 8 tsp water (1/4 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp water per 8 ounces of meat). and lightly salt. Let sit for 15 minutesORblend 1 TBSP salt into meat and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  5. Add 1/3 of the beef and pork mixture and beat at medium speed ORby hand until thoroughly blended with bread mixture.
  6. Remove bowl from stand mixer and add remaining beef and pork. Using a clean hand, gently mix meatball mixture no more than is necessary for even distribution.
  7. Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with lightly oiled parchment paper.
  8. Form meatball mixture into handball-sized balls and arrange on prepared baking sheet; you should be able to make about 10. OR use a scale to make 1.5 oz balls.
  9. Bake meatballs until lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes. OR skip this step for tenderpoachedstyle meatballs in pot or slow cooker.
  10. Heat tomato sauce in a medium pot until simmering and add meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are just cooked through and register about 145°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. If poaching, cook for at least 1 hour, or in slow cooker for several hours.  Until balls reach 165 degrees.