Baba's Italian Meatballs
★★★★★
These are Mom’s classic homemade Italian meatballs! Made with beef, pork and veal, roman cheese
and Italian spices always served in Mom’s delicious tomato sauce. These Meatballs are our family’s
favorite! In Italy you don’t eat Spaghetti and Meatballs together. Spaghetti is considered a primo
piatto (first dish) and Meat is a secondo piatto (second plate). Therefore they should not be
combined. Those Italian’s are missing out on something because Mom always served them together
and we loved it.
From the Kitchen of Chef Pietro
Ingredients
2 pounds Ground Beef (or Chuck) 70%-80% Lean
1 pound Ground Pork
1 pound Ground Veal
1-1/2 cups Italian Breadcrumbs (or Plain),
3 large eggs
1 cups Romano Cheese (grated Parmesian-Roman Blend – Not Powdered)
1 large Yellow Onion, finely diced
1/2 cup Plain applesauce
1 each salt and pepper, to taste
1 each pinch granulated garlic
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning (less if using Italian Herbed, to taste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
In a large bowl, add the ground beef, pork, veal, eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, minced onion, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic and the secret ingredient, applesauce..
Use hands to mix thoroughly until combined.
Roll the ground beef mixture into ⅓ cup (3 ounces) rounds, about the size of an jumbo egg. Bigger if you want to. However you portion them, take each portion and roll it lightly between your hands until it is well shaped. Do not over-roll or pack them too tight -gentle is better!
If using an oven, preheat to 425 degrees…or in the Italian way…
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs in batches and brown them all over, about 5-6 minutes per batch. (This recipe makes two to three batches, depending on size.)
OR
Set the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly grease (or reach meatball) with olive oil. Evenly space the meatballs on baking sheet, there should be about 20 to 30 meatballs.
Bake in the preheated oven (425 degrees) until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
And now to perfection…
As you finish browning, transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, simmer on low heat for at least 2 hours, checking and stirring every 20 minutes, or as needed. The meatballs should be fork tender when sliced. Mom used to let them sit in the sauce for 4-6 hours or until your ready to eat!
Serve meatballs with Mueller’s Thin spaghetti topped with sauce and more of that Romano Cheese!
Notes & Comments
Storing: Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Meatballs can be stored in a large freezer bag for up to 2 months (or up to 1
year in Foodsaver bags – portioned to your typical consumption at one meal) in the freezer.
Defrost and again simmer in the sauce until they are fork tender. Cooked meatballs and
sauce can be frozen for up to 2 month, then defrosting and reheated on the stovetop until
hot.
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