Snow Day Meatballs
For a Sunday storm
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I love the weather. In fact, I check multiple apps numerous times of day to see who is saying what. The word storm stirs my soul, unless of course the storm takes down multiple trees, you lose power for days or it puts you in any sort of real danger…
It clearly runs in the family (see: my text exchange from this morning with my stepmother).
In these parts, I’m particularly fond of the Hudson Valley Weather team. They’re humorous, and they do an excellent job reporting. I learned what an S4 Solar Radiation Storm was this week - we had one! So far, we’re looking at upwards of a foot of snow starting Sunday morning…
It’s times like these that make me crave something comforting, something meant to be eaten from a bowl, ideally in front of a fire. A snow day on a Sunday feels especially right; Sundays, as a rule, should be restful and restorative.
This recipe first appeared back in 2021 and was entitled Molto Meatballs. I’ve since updated it and given the impending storm, it also has a new name. Meatballs simmered in sauce are perfect for a day snowed in. Serve them over polenta or tossed with spaghetti or nestle them inside a sesame loaf and top with fresh mozzarella before zipping them under the broiler to melt. Most importantly, don’t forget to stock up on red wine.
I did asked you to pull out the food processor only so the shallots and garlic are so finely chopped you almost don’t notice their texture and they melt into the meatball. But should you not want to use one, a knife will do just fine.
“Snowbound,” a song written by the late, great Dave Frishberg, popped into my head while typing this today.
The man was a master lyricist. His song “Peel Me a Grape” became one of my signatures when I performed cabaret in New York in the aughts. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform in Portland, Oregon, when we both lived there. He was a genius.
In fact, both songs are perfect to listen to whilst reading a book beneath a quilt, occasionally looking up to watch those flakes fall.
I hope you enjoy.
💫💫💫💫 If you like this post, can you kindly hit the ❤️ at the bottom? It sure does help spread the word! 💫💫💫
💫💫💫💫 If you like this post, can you kindly hit the ❤️ at the bottom? It sure does help spread the word! 💫💫💫
Snow Day Meatballs
Serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS
For the meatballs:
1 pound ground beef, preferably chuck with a decent amount of fat
1 pound ground pork
2 medium shallots, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 fistful of Italian parsley, both leaves and stems, roughly chopped - should equal about ¼ cup when chopped
½ rounded cup panko
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup/2 ounces grated pecorino romano cheese
1 large egg
2 teaspoons kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the tomato sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow or red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 14-once can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
Grated pecorino romano for serving
Polenta pasta or garlic bread for serving
METHOD
In a large bowl add the beef and pork and set aside.
In a medium food processor, add the shallots, garlic and parsley and pulse together until very finely chopped. Add to the bowl with the meat as well as the panko, red pepper flakes grated cheese, egg, salt and a few good grinds of black pepper. With your hands gently mix until everything is very well combined.
With damp hands, form the mixture into balls, they should be about 1 ½ -2-inches in diameter and yield about 24 to 26 meatballs. I like having a large plastic cutting board or rimmed baking sheet nearby to place them as I go.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pan and when it shimmers add in enough meatballs to cover the surface of the pan without crowding and cook, 3 to 4 minutes per side, using a set of tongs to turn them until they’re nicely golden browned all over. Set aside on a large plate or platter and repeat with remaining meatballs. They will not be cooked through and that is OK - they will finish cooking in the sauce.
Make your sauce: If needed, wipe out or wash the Dutch oven and heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. When it shimmers, add in the onion and the garlic and cook until it begins to soften, 5 or so minutes. Add in the hot pepper flakes and tomato paste and cook for one minute more until the tomato paste toasts and turns brick red. Season with salt.
Stir in the tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer everything together for 20 to 25 minutes. Plate over polenta or toss with pasta or serve with good garlic bread. Shower with as much cheese as you like - I like a lot.
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Stay tucked in and cozy this weekend if you can.
With love,
Colu x
CAN CONFIRM THESE ARE GREAT BALLS! <3
Thanks so much, Colu. Thank goodness for the NY Times--that's where I found out about you and your terrific food. Kathy