Sunday Supper: Meatballs With Pappardelle

This week I made the most AMAZING meatballs. They are a recipe from Ad Hoc of course. The mixture combines two types of beef, veal, and some pork. The real kicker is they are stuffed with mozzarella! Mmmmmmmm

Luckily I had a nice butcher who was in a good mood at Whole Foods this afternoon. I made 1/3 of this recipe for Mark and myself, so asking for 4 oz. of this and 3 oz. of that, but don't forget the 3 other oz. of something else etc. could get ugly real fast if you have a cranky butcher. ;)

These meatballs are served with a chunky, hearty tomato sauce and pappardelle. I made my pappardelle from scratch but you can always buy it at the store :) If you want to delight yourself with this recipe read through it once before starting it. You have to leave plenty of time. The sauce takes about 3 hours to make. You don't have to babysit it because it cooks in the oven, but you can't start cooking at 5 thinking you'll eat at 6:30!

Here's the YUMMY recipe: ( Serves 4 gluttons or 6 regular people)


Sachet

1 bay leaf
3 thyme sprigs
10 black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled

Cut a rectangle of cheesecloth. Lay the spices on the cheesecloth and fold over. Tie with kitchen twine.



Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce

2 tbs canola oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup minced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 cup finely chopped fennel
1 tbs plus 1 tsp minced garlic
Kosher salt
2 tbs light brown sugar
2 tbs red wine vinegar
Two 28-32 oz cans San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
1 Sachet (above)
Freshly ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine oil, onion, leeks, fennel and garlic in large Dutch oven and sprinkle with salt. Put in oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize.

Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar and return to oven for another 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, drain the canned tomatoes and remove the seeds. Coarsely chop half of the tomatoes. Puree the other half.

Add the tomatoes to the vegetables along with the sachet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and return to oven for 1.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. The sauce should be thick and have a full, rich flavor.

Discard the sachet and let the sauce cool to room temperature.



Meatballs with Pappardelle

2 tbs canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 oz boneless beef sirloin
12 oz boneless beef chuck
8 oz pork butt
8 oz boneless veal shoulder or top round
1/4 cup bread crumbs
3 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley, divided
1 large egg
4 oz fresh mozzarella
1 pound pappardelle (store bought, or fresh. See my pasta recipe here)
4 tbs unsalted butter, melted
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce (above)


Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and reduce heat. Cook gently for about 20 minutes, to soften the vegetables without browning them. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, trim any sinew from the meat. Cut all of the meat into 1 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Toss with 1 tbs of salt.

Set up a meat grinder with a 3/8 inch die. Fill a large bowl with ice water and nestle a smaller bowl into it to catch the ground meat. Grind the meat, alternating the types of meat. Change the die to 3/16 inch and run the meat through again.

Add the onion and garlic, bread crumbs, 2 tbs of the parsley, and the egg to the meat and mix gently to incorporate evenly (do not overwork).

Divide mixture into 12 equal balls, using a scant 1/2 cup for each.

Cut the cheese into 12 cubes, about 3/4 inch. Shape the meatballs, stuffing a cube of cheese into the center of each one.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

Put the meatballs on the cooling rack and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until cooked through but still juicy. Remove from the oven and let rest on the rack for a few minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, cook the pappardelle. Drain and put in a large bowl. Toss with the melted butter, the remaining 1 tbs of parsley, and the lemon juice.

Spoon the tomato sauce into a gratin dish or shallow serving dish. Top with the meatballs. Serve the pappardelle on the side.



I hope you have a beautiful week. I know mine is full of exciting things!

~Hannah