Meatballs and Red Sauce Recipe

• By: mtsgsd
• Cuisine: Italian
• Type: Other

This recipe came from Cooks Illustrated, and I'll include their ingredient list, but you'll see my notes as to what I do. This made the best meatballs I've ever had, and the sauce was surprisingly good too! I make meatball sandwiches with this.

Note:

• One cup of plain yogurt thinned with ½ cup milk can be substituted for the buttermilk.
• Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. The ingredients in this recipe can be reduced by two-thirds to serve 4.

• 2 1/4 cups (about 6 ounces) panko bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (see note)
• 3 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto , chopped fine
• 3 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 6 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (I used 2tbs parsley paste in a tube)
• 3 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin , dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
• Table salt and ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups grated onion from 1 to 2 onions (see note)
• 6 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 6 cups tomato juice (bottled) (Rubbish. Even 3 cups was way too much. maybe a can of sauce instead? I like very thick sauce.)
• 3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 6 tablespoons dry white wine (I don't bother with this)
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil leaves (used 2tbs basil paste in a tube)
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (used 1 tbs parsley paste in a tube)
• Granulated sugar
• Parmesan cheese , grated, for serving

• Place wire racks in 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets.
• Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Combine bread crumbs and buttermilk in large bowl and let sit, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes.
• Add eggs, beef, pork, prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, gelatin mixture, 11/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bread-crumb mixture.
• Using hands, gently mix until thoroughly combined.
• Lightly form about ¼ cup mixture into 2-inch round meatball (about 2 ounces); repeat with remaining mixture to form approximately 40 meatballs.
• Spray wire racks with nonstick cooking spray and place meatballs, evenly spaced, on racks; roast until browned, about 30 minutes, rotating trays from front to back and top to bottom halfway through.

• While meatballs roast, heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.
• Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Stir in tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, wine, 1½ teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste.
• Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

• Remove meatballs from oven and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Gently add meatballs to sauce, cover pot, and place in oven.
• Cook until meatballs are firm and sauce has thickened to the way you want it.
• Stir basil and parsley into sauce and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt, and pepper.