Giant Veal And Ricotta Meatballs Braised In Tomato Sauce Food

GIANT MEATBALLS WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil; set aside.
• Place bread in a bowl and add milk to moisten. Chop bread into small pieces no larger than 1/4-inch and place in a large bowl. Add veal, beef, pork, egg, onion, parsley, oregano, cheeses, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, gently mix until well combined.
• Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a large meatball. Transfer meatballs to prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a large saucepan. Transfer the meatballs to the marinara sauce and simmer, partially covered, until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano.

BRAISED LAMB MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE WITH FRESH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Combine the garlic, shallot, preserved lemon and olive oil in a food processor or high speed blender, and puree. Add the herbs and the almonds and pulse until the almonds are chopped up, but still coarse. Transfer to a mixing bowl and fold into the ground lamb. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and then form into even balls roughly the size of golf balls.
• Carefully add the meatballs into the simmering sauce and braise gently until the meatballs read 145 F at the center with a meat thermometer (roughly 15 minutes.)
• Serve in a large platter with dollops of fresh ricotta, a drizzle of fruity olive oil and sprigs of purple basil.

GIANT VEAL AND RICOTTA MEATBALLS BRAISED IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• For the braising sauce: Heat the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and barely translucent but not at all browned, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper Add the bay leaf, tomato juice, and stock. Bring to a simmer, stirring once or twice, and simmer for 15-20 minutes While the sauce is simmering, make the meatballs: Combine the bread crumbs and buttermilk in a small bowl. Stir the bread crumbs around to moisten them. Let sit 5-10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmigiano, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Add the soaked bread crumbs and buttermilk and stir everything until well mixed. Break off hunks of the ground veal and drop them into the bowl. Then gently knead the meat to work in all the other ingredients. The goal is to blend everything evenly without overworking the meat - if you overmix it, the meatballs can become tough and heavy. Shaping the meatballs: Using a 1/3 cup measure, scoop out a heaping portion of the veal mixture for each meatball and shape it into a round ball. Again, take care not to squeeze or overmanipulate the mixture. Arrange the balls on a large platter or tray without touching one another. The braise: When the sauce is ready, reduce heat to medium-low and one by one, lower the meatballs into the skillet using a wooden spoon. Once all the meatballs are in the pan, spoon a little sauce over the top of each one and cover the pan. Adjust the burner so that the sauce stays at a low simmer and bubbles lazily rising to the surface. If it simmers too fast, the meatballs will toughen and the full exchange of flavor between sauce and meat won't occur. After 20 minutes, carefully turn the meatballs with a a large spoon. They're fragile spoon sauce over the tops again, cover, and continue to simmer until the meatballs feel firm to the touch, indicating they are cooked all the way through, 35-45 minutes.