I live in a land of meatballs and sauce or gravy (whichever vernacular you prefer), but honestly I will only eat meatballs made by my fam. I am a snob like that 100 percent. Ain’t no shame in my game.
Now, if you asked me for my Mommom Sacco’s recipe 20 years ago, I would be keeping this under lock and key. But as time has gone on, I realize that way of thinking is kind of stupid, actually it’s really stupid, and legacies live by sharing recipes.
Sooooo, here is my Mommom Sacco’s meatball recipe. She wrote it out for my sisters and I before we got hitched because I suppose it is a requirement of all Italian-American broads to know how to make a meatball. Not that mine even compare to my grandmother’s. But isn’t that always how it goes?
Mommom Sacco’s Meatballs
Course: MainCuisine: Italian AmericanDifficulty: Medium10-12
servings30
minutes2
hours20
minutes2
hoursIngredients
2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 eggs, beaten (for a softer meatball add a fourth egg)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying the meatballs
- For the sauce
1 can (28 oz.) tomato puree (The Jersey Girl uses Cento)
2 cans (28 oz. each) crushed tomatoes (The Jersey Girl uses Cento)
6 cloves garlic, minced (The Jersey Girl likes to mince the garlic and onion in her food processor)
1 small onion, minced (The Jersey Girl likes to mince the garlic and onion in her food processor)
10 basil leaves, chiffonade (Mommom didn’t add fresh basil, but The Jersey Girl does)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Add browned Italian sausage if desired. For more sauce, add another can of crushed tomatoes.
Directions
- For the meatballs and sauce
- In a large bowl, add ground meat, bread crumbs, cheese, fresh parsley, minced garlic, beaten eggs, salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until well combined. (The Jersey Girl beats the eggs right in the big mixing bowl. She minces the parsley and garlic in a food processor so that they are very fine.
- Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours up to 12 hours. This allows the flavors to blend together well.
- Roll meat mixture into 2-inch balls. Recipe makes about 10-12 meatballs per pound.
- Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or stock pot, add the crushed tomatoes and tomatoes puree. Rinse out the cans with a 1/4-1/2 cup of water and add that to the pot, as well. Place on stove over low heat.
- While the sauce is warming, in a large frying pan, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat. Add meatballs in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Brown on all sides.
- As meatballs finish browning, remove from frying pan and place gently into the warming sauce. Continue until all meatballs are browned.
- Once all meatballs are browned and placed in sauce, return frying pan to medium low heat. DO NOT discard the meatball oil. According to Mommom, that’s where allllll the flavor is. Add minced onion and garlic directly to the frying pan and brown for about 2 minutes. (The Jersey Girl minces the onion and garlic in her food processor, but you can just use a knife, of course!)
- Add oil and cooked onion and garlic to the sauce pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Partially cover and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 2 hours.
- Serve with favorite pasta. Meatballs and sauce may be frozen for later use as well.
