Now thatsa meatball!

These meatballs were UNBELIEVABLE! Best yet! When Tyler Florence called these the ultimate,  I have to agree! I rolled the meatballs in fresh bread crumbs. There's always burger and hot dog buns left over, so I whizz them in the food processor and then throw them in a ziploc bag and freeze it, no waste. I always have fresh crumbs handy. Frying the meatballs with the crumbs gave it a nice crust. Then I threw them in the pot with the sauce. I used perlini (little pearls) mozzarella balls. They're really cute, very teeny, tiny balls of fresh mozzarella in water.  The family is not big on cheese, so the recipe called for Buffalo mozzarella. Telling them the cheese comes from Buffalo wouldn't work, they wouldn't go for cheese from a Water Buffalo. I would. It's very good! But my cheese wimps can be picky, so I didn't chance it.

Perlini (little pearls) mozzarella balls

 

Mozzarella-stuffed Meatballs

Meatballs (Polpette Napoletane)
Source: Tyler's Ultimate, Food Network and Cooking Channel - recipe courtesy Baroness Cecilia Bellelli
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

3 slices stale bread, crusts removed
1 cup milk
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, you can use a mix of pork and beef
3 eggs
2 ounces pecorino, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 buffalo mozzarella, drained and chopped into little pieces (I used pearlini , little round tiny pieces of fresh mozzarella in water!)
Unseasoned bread crumbs
Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
Tomato sauce, jar or homemade

Put the bread in a small mixing bowl, cover with milk, and leave to soak.

Chop the parsley and garlic together. Put meat into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and add to meat. Add parsley and garlic. Use your hands to mix the ingredients. Break eggs into the mixture to bind it. Keep mixing. Add the pecorino. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shape meatballs by hand, make a hole in the top and insert a small piece of mozzarella. Cover it up and pat meatball into shape. Roll them in bread crumbs. Pour olive oil into a frying pan and when it's really hot, fry the meatballs for 5 minutes, or until they have formed a crust. Then turn over. When golden brown and crusty on both sides remove the meatballs from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, cover and simmer on low heat for about an hour or more.

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Joining Debbie from Dining with Debbie for What's On the Menu Wednesday!

and joining Extreme Personal Measures for What's Cookin' Wednesdays!

 

 

AND 

 Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter 

 

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