Juicy and Tender Italian-American Meatballs in Red Sauce Recipe

What is the perfect meatball? For me, it's a plump, juicy ball of highly seasoned meat that's so tender a spoon can pass right through it with almost no resistance. Here's how I make that a reality.

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INGREDIENTS

1 packet unflavored gelatin (optional ; see note)
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or low-sodium broth (optio
4 ounces fresh white bread, crusts removed and bread cut i
1/3 cup buttermilk ; plus more as needed
1 medium onion ; minced
8 cloves garlic ; finely minced
2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, plus more for
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves ; minced
4 teaspoons kosher salt (18 grams ; see note)
Freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces fatty pancetta ; finely minced (see note)
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 pound ground beef (at least 25% fat)
1 pound ground pork (at least 25% fat)
5 cups tomato sauce ; such as Quick and Easy Italian American Red Sauce, The Best Slow

Servings

INSTRUCTIONS

See original recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/r...

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NOTES

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Juicy and Tender Italian-American Meatballs in Red Sauce Recipe

1 packet unflavored gelatin (optional see note)
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or low-sodium broth (optio 
4 ounces fresh white bread, crusts removed and bread cut i 
1/3 cup buttermilk plus more as needed
1 medium onion minced
8 cloves garlic finely minced
2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, plus more for 
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves minced
4 teaspoons kosher salt (18 grams see note)
  Freshly ground black pepper 
3 ounces fatty pancetta finely minced (see note)
4 large egg yolks 
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed 
1 pound ground beef (at least 25% fat) 
1 pound ground pork (at least 25% fat) 
5 cups tomato sauce such as Quick and Easy Italian American Red Sauce, The Best Slow

[
  {
    "@type": "HowToStep",
    "text": "In a heatproof measuring cup, sprinkle gelatin all over surface of stock and let stand for 5 minutes (if not using stock and gelatin, proceed to Step 2). Microwave stock, stirring once or twice, until gelatin completely dissolves, about 2 minutes. Pour stock into a wide heatproof bowl and refrigerate until fully set, about 30 minutes."
  },
  {
    "@type": "HowToStep",
    "text": "In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine bread with buttermilk, tossing to coat. Let stand, tossing occasionally, until bread is completely moist, about 10 minutes. Squeeze bread between your fingers or mash with a spoon to make sure there are no dry spots;  if there are dry spots that refuse to moisten, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until bread is moist throughout."
  },
  {
    "@type": "HowToStep",
    "text": "Add onion, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, salt, pepper, pancetta, egg yolks, oregano, and fennel to bread/buttermilk mixture. Finely mince gelled stock, if using, and add."
  },
  {
    "@type": "HowToStep",
    "text": "Set mixer bowl in stand mixer and attach paddle. Starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, beat bread mixture until thoroughly blended, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary. Add 1/3 each of the beef and pork and beat at medium-high speed until thoroughly blended with bread mixture."
  },
  {
    "@type": "HowToStep",
    "text": "Remove bowl from stand mixer and add remaining beef and pork. Using a clean hand, gently mix meatball mixture, teasing apart ground meat with your fingers, just until ground beef and pork and thoroughly distributed throughout; avoid mixing any more than is necessary for even distribution."
  },
  {
    "@type": "HowToStep",
    "text": "Preheat broiler and set oven rack in upper position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Form meatball mixture into handball-sized balls and arrange on prepared baking sheet; you should be able to make about 10. Broil meatballs until browned on top, about 7 minutes (browning times can vary dramatically, depending on oven broiler strength)."
  },
  {
    "@type": "HowToStep",
    "text": "Heat tomato sauce in a medium pot until simmering and add meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are just cooked through and register about 145°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes."
  },
  {
    "@type": "HowToStep",
    "text": "Serve meatballs, spooning sauce all over and grating more cheese on top."
  }
]

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Nutrition

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Serving Size: 1 Serving (2874g)
Recipe Makes: 4 Servings

Calories: 1834
Calories from Fat: 1012 (55%)

Amt Per Serving		% DV

	Total Fat 112.5g	150 %
	Saturated Fat 39.6g	198 %
	Monounsaturated Fat 48.6g
	Polyunsanturated Fat 18.8g
Cholesterol 5035.5mg		1549 %
Sodium 11452.7mg		395 %
Potassium 7625mg		201 %
Total Carbohydrate 134.7g		40 %
	Dietary Fiber 32.7g	131 %
	Sugars, other 102g
Protein 94.4g		135 %
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition.

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Calories per serving: 1834

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