Usually, when I make my weekly batch of sauce, I'll make some meatballs for the hell of it. Spaghetti and meatballs go together almost as harmoniously as the Unemployed Chef and government money. Plus they make the sauce taste delicious (meatballs, that is...not government money).
But do me a favor. Please, please don't use jar sauce. You will break my little Italian heart. It's easy to make your own sauce (even for a lazy bastard like me). And you can make a big ass batch in advance. You can find my recipe, along with a rage-filled anecdote detailing my hatred towards jar sauce, here.
Seriously, don't use jar sauce. The Unemployed Chef doesn't want to have to choke a bitch.
If you're gonna steal my sauce recipe, you might as well steal my meatball recipe.
Meatballs
Makes about 20 meatballs
Ingredients
-2 lbs ground beef
-4-5 slices Italian bread, dampened and broken up into small pieces (or 1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, such as 4C Seasoned Breadcrumbs)
-1 egg, beaten
-Oil, for frying (Canola oil is fine. I used olive oil, because that was what I had.)
-3/4-1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or Peccorino Romano) cheese
-Dried parsley flakes
-Dried oregano
-Garlic powder
-Salt & pepper
Steps
-Place ground beef in a large bowl, and break up with hands.
-Add bread or breadcrumbs, and mix until evenly distributed.
-Slowly add the beaten egg to the meat-and-bread mixture, mixing as you go along. You don't want to overdo it. No one likes soggy balls. Or dry balls for that matter. Once the meat feels "moist" enough to roll (and hold together), stop.
-Season your meat-bread-egg mixture "to taste." I put that in quotations, because, well...most of the Western world doesn't condone tasting raw ground beef. You'll live. Trust me. But if you're gonna be a bitch about it, throw in about a cup of cheese, a few dashes each of parsley flakes, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and a pinch of oregano. That should do the trick.
-Start rolling the seasoned meat-bread-egg mixture into meatballs. They should fit into the palm of your hand. Unless you have gigantic hands that warrant meatballs which resemble small globes. In that case, use someone else's hands as a measuring guide.
-Meanwhile, in a frying pan or skillet, heat oil (enough to coat the pan, and then a little more) over medium heat. Once the oil is nice and hot, add meatballs to your pan (you will probably have to do these in 2 or 3 separate batches). You want the outside of your balls to be nice and crispy, but not burnt. I'd say, 5 minutes on the top and bottom (2-3 minutes on the sides) will do them good.
-After the meatballs are fried to perfection, remove them from the oil and rest them between two paper towels (to soak up excess oil and allowed them to solidify).
After these are done, heat up some sauce, drop in yo' balls, and you're good to go.
"Heavenly" Baked-Ziti-Style Meatball Subs
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
-Half a loaf of Italian bread
-3 meatballs (see recipe above)
-1 cup marinara sauce (If your balls are already simmering in a pot of sauce, just scoop them out...no need to measure sauce)
-Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (about 2-3 slices)
-3 big spoonfuls of ricotta cheese
-Shredded cheese, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, or Asiago
Steps
-Preheat oven to 350ยบ F.
-Cut Italian bread down the center, lengthwise. Leave bread together on one side, to hold your sub together.
-Place mozzarella slices along your bread, and place open sub on a metal roasting pan. Pop in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
-Place meatballs on top of the melted mozzarella.
-Layer ricotta cheese on top of your meatballs, spreading it out for even distribution. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
-Close up your sub, push down, and you're done.
BUFFALO SPORTS DAILY features The Unemployed Chef as the official BSD Tailgate Blogger!!! (Which might be an issue when they play the Jets next Sunday)
The "Heavenly Meatball Sub" recipe above was originally featured here. Check it out.
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