Esquire’s Meatball to Conquer All Others

Esquire MeatballsI tore this recipe out of the October 2011 issue of Esquire and stuck it on the refrigerator, where it taunted me for several months. I finally made it when my parents and grandmother were up to visit Theo, and, well, GOOD GOD, YOU ALL. This truly is the meatball to conquer all others. This isn’t a quick meal, but it is the epitome of what a slow meal should be: something you cannot possibly eat all the time even if you would love to, because it would lead to madness.

Esquire’s Meatball to Conquer All Others
Recipe Type: Entree
Author: Shane Solomon
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 2 hours
Total time: 3 hours
Serves: 8-10
Philly-style meatball, kind of a meal by itself, but great served with bread or over polenta.
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 lb ground veal
  • 1 lb pancetta or thick-sliced smoky bacon, finely minced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • Herbs: 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, 2 Tbsp chopped oregan, 2 tbsp chopped rosemary
  • 1/3 cup fine, dry unseasoned bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • canola oil
  • 12 cups tomato sauce or chopped stewed tomatoes
  • more Parmigiano-Reggiano (for serving)
Instructions
  1. Combine the 4 meats, eggs, 1/2 cup cheese, onion, garlic and herbs. Mix well and knead with your hands like dough.
  2. In separate bowl, add milk to bread crumbs, stirring until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. Add to meat mixture.
  3. Season with salt and pepper. (To taste for seasoning, heat a small amount of canola oil in a small pan. When hot (it will ripple in the pan) pinch off a bit of meat and fry in oil. Remove with spoon, taste, and correct seasoning if necessary.)
  4. Refrigerate meat mixture for about 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape meatballs with an ice-cream scoop, packing tightly.
  6. In a large skillet, heat a quarter-inch of canola oil in large skillet until very hot. In batches, brown all sides of each meatball.
  7. As each meatball finishes, transfer to deep, ovenproof casserole. Cover all meatballs with tomato sauce (they must be fully submerged.)
  8. Place casserole in oven and bake until well done, 1 3/4 to 2 hours. When done, meatballs should feel firm to touch, or an instant-read thermometer should read 160 degrees.
  9. To serve: spoon sauce over meatballs (2 or 3 per person), top with grated cheese, serve with crusty bread. Or serve over soft polenta.

 

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