Greg's Meatballs

I could make a sappy post about my old friend Greg West, but instead I'll just post his amazing meatball recipe. He's known for his cooking, and he's had times where he cooks voluminous amounts of food and shares it. I will always love him for taking Debbie and her dad food when John was sick with lung cancer. He doesn't often share recipes though, because he doesn't use them. So when he posted a brief meatball tutorial last year, I jumped at the chance to give them a try.

I cut the recipe in half and quite deliberately used a scale to weigh out 4 oz. meatballs, ending up with about 20 both times. Homemade meatballs deserve a homemade sauce, and I've used Hazan's famous recipe.

Greg's MEATBALL RECIPE

5# ground beef (80/20)
2# hot Italian sausage
2# sweet Italian sausage
1/4 C. garlic paste (in tubes at most grocery stores in produce section) (Kristine--made my own)
1/4 C. Italian herbs paste (in tubes at most grocery stores in produce section) (Kristine--made my own)
2 T. salt
2 T. black pepper
3/4 C. finely diced sweet yellow onion (Vidalia, Wala Wala) to name a few
1/4 C. finely chopped parsley
1/4 C. Heinz ketchup
4 Large eggs
2 C. finely chopped fresh sliced bread(1/8th in. dice) (sourdough, white or buttermilk acceptable. not flavored breads like Rye)
1/4 C. half & half

Pre-heat oven to 400°
In a separate bowl, add finely chopped fresh bread with half and half. Mix and let soak in.
Then, in a larger bowl, add all other ingredients. Top with soaked bread mixture. Put on latex gloves and mix thoroughly by hand. Do not use power mixer. Do not overmix or over-handle meat mixture. This will make the meatballs tough. If you prefer a harder meatball, substitute 1 C. dry bread crumbs for the finely chopped fresh bread. Portion out meatballs to desired size. I use a kitchen scale to make sure each meatball is to exact portion size but this is not necessary. The more uniform they are the more evenly they'll cook. (See figure 1)

Form meatballs by softly rolling them between hands. They should have no cracks on the outside of them when finished. They will crack while cooking if they do. I personally like mine huge (7 or 8 oz.) about the size of a small baby's head, but they can be anywhere between 1 oz or larger.
Place finished meatballs evenly on sheet pan. Bake for 5 min. @ 400 degrees for each meatball ounce. (5 oz. Meatballs will take 25 min.) You can broil on high for a few minutes to add a little color if desired. (See figure 2)

Once cooked, cool to room temperature.
Carefully rinse individual meatballs quickly under warm water to remove any excess grease. Place meatballs on paper towels and air dry. Once dry, they can be frozen in zip-lock freezer bags for later use.

The meatballs should be around medium rare after this cooking process. You finish cooking them completely once in the sauce.
If your meatballs are 2 oz.or smaller, place in large sauce pot and cover with sauce. Heat until hot, approx. 175°
If your meatballs are 3 oz. or larger, get a casserole dish large enough to hold your desired amount and fill half way with sauce. Place meatballs in sauce. The meatballs should be covered at least halfway. (See figure 3)

Bake at 400° until thoroughly hot. Approximately 25 to 45 min. depending on the size you made your meatballs. Once hot, remove from oven and top with generous portions of shredded mozzarella, Provolone and top with Pecorino Romano. Broil on high until Brown and bubbly. (See figure 4) Top with fresh chopped parsley for color contrast. Serve over pasta or in a crusty sweet French roll for an incredible meatball sandwich. Enjoy!!!

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Because it was a new recipe with several steps, the first time I made them, it was a bit daunting. The second time, even though it was a year later, went much more quickly. It fed the four of us as a main dish (no pasta included!), and I froze half the batch to use later.

These are my completed meatballs. And Greg was right--they are absolutely amazing!

And Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce Recipe

The easiest to make homemade tomato sauce, the perfect accompaniment to Greg's Meatballs. Don't be fooled by the seeming lack of spices or flavorings. This is simple and sumptuous.

Hazan's Tomato Sauce


28 oz. can of plum tomatoes, undrained
5 T. butter
one onion, peeled and cut in half
salt

Combined tomatoes, butter, onion, and a pinch or two of salt in a saucepan.

Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon.

Discard the onion before using sauce. This recipe makes enough for a pound of pasta.

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When making my usual half of the meatball recipe, I double this one, which is enough to go with 10-12 meatballs.