Bon Appetit's Meatballs

3.9
(9)
8 Reviews
4 Photos

Fry the meatballs in oil and butter--they're great just like that. Or if you are going to add them to a pot of sauce, leave them slightly undercooked so as to not overcook them in the sauce. If you're adding them to the Meat Gravy, put them in about 1 hour before serving.

Submitted by Buon Appetito
Published on April 2, 2019
4
4
Prep Time:
40 mins
Cook Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 20 mins
Servings:
10
Yield:
30 meatballs
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 10 servings

  • 1 ½ pounds coarsely ground pork

  • 1 ½ pounds sweet Italian sausage without fennel, casings removed

  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef sirloin

  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef chuck

  • ½ loaf day-old (hard) Italian bread, torn into chunks

  • 1 (32 ounce) carton low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 whole head garlic, minced

  • 1 cup packed fresh Italian parsley leaves

  • 4 large eggs, beaten

  • 8 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese (such as Locatelli®), grated

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

  1. Combine ground pork, Italian sausage, ground sirloin, and ground chuck in a large bowl. Mix them with your hands until thoroughly combined.

  2. Soak bread chunks in chicken broth in a bowl until completely soft. Combine garlic and parsley in a mini chopper or food processor and grind to a fine paste. Squeeze the excess broth out of the bread, reserving the broth in a bowl, and add the bread to the meats along with the garlic and parsley paste. Gently mix in beaten eggs and grated Pecorino Romano cheese with your hands until fully incorporated into the meat mixture. If the mixture seems dry, pour in some of the reserved chicken broth.

  3. Pinch off golf ball-sized pieces of the meat mixture and roll them into meatballs, taking care not to pack them too tightly, and set them on a baking tray. Depending on how big you make them, you should end up with about 30 meatballs.

  4. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in two or three batches, brown the meatballs on all sides and drain on paper towels. If you're adding them to a pot of sauce, you may undercook them slightly, as they will finish cooking in the sauce.

Editor's Note:

We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature as well as ingredient density.

Cook's Notes:

Look for sweet Italian sausage without fennel. The amount of garlic may seem a bit much, but if you look at the amount of meat and all the other ingredients, it's not. My mother uses less garlic but I prefer a little more. If you are looking to make this a little lighter you can cook them in the oven. It will change the texture but they will still be good. You probably won't need the whole loaf of Italian bread, depending on the size, so just use what's needed--about 1/2 to 2/3 of a loaf.

I use the meatballs in my Meat Gravy recipe. Brown the meatballs as directed and add them to the sauce about 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

710 Calories
47g Fat
22g Carbs
47g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 10
Calories 710
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 47g 61%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Cholesterol 211mg 70%
Sodium 913mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 47g 94%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 82mg 6%
Iron 5mg 29%
Potassium 645mg 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.