Extreme Makeover: Meatball Edition

Norma Jean Baker to Marilyn Monroe. Steve Urkel to Stefan Urkell. Television shows such as "What Not To Wear" and "The Biggest Loser." It seems Americans can't get enough when it comes to transformations, reinventions, and the like. We love rags to riches stories and before and after photos. This is why I decided to take classic spaghetti & meatballs and give it a makeover. A little wine, a little spice, and ta-da! A sophisticated version of a perennial favorite.


Next time you decide to make spaghetti & meatballs, try this version - you won't be disappointed!
　

Garlic Meatballs in Chianti Sauce

For the Sauce:
generous splash olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup Chianti
1 T. fennel seeds
2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
generous grind black pepper
salt to taste

For the Meatballs:
3/4 lb. 80/20 ground beef*
3/4 lb. ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
1/2 c. very finely minced onion
1/4 c. Chianti
splash olive oil
2-3 large cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced
2 t. fennel seeds
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. salt
1/4 - 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
generous grind black pepper
1-2 T. bacon fat**
hot cooked, buttered spaghetti
grated pecorino

First, make the sauce. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become soft. Do not let the garlic burn. Next, add all the remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to gently bubble. Cover, reduce to very low heat, and let the sauce simmer while you make the meatballs.




In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except the bacon fat. Using your hands, mix until the mixture is consistent. Now, using your hands, form the mixture into golf ball sized balls. Do not pack them too tightly, just enough so that they stay together.

When the meatballs are all formed, heat a large frying pan (preferably cast-iron) over high heat. One your pan is hot, add a pat of bacon fat and let it coat the pan. Working in batches, add a few meatballs at a time to the pan and brown for 2-4 minutes, or until a nice brown crust has formed on the outside of each meatball and no pink remains. Add the meatballs to the pot containing the Chianti sauce.

Once all the meatballs are added to the sauce, pick up the pot and gently shake the pot until all the meatballs are immersed into the sauce. Shaking the pot instead of stirring with a spoon reduces the chances of your meatballs falling apart. Once the meatballs are immersed, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Spoon a few meatballs and sauce over piping hot buttered spaghetti, sprinkle with pecorino cheese, and serve with a glass of Chianti.

* Please don't desecrate my recipe by using a leaner blend of ground beef; you'll lose too much flavor.


** Always save the fat when you've cooked and drained bacon. It adds great flavor to recipes, and by saving it in a sealed container in the fridge, you save yourself a step when you want to add that flavor to a recipe!