CAPRIAL PENCE

The cold and wet weather is back again after what seems like a very short summer here in the Northwest.  Once the rain starts it can be a long haul to get to the sunshine on the other side of fall and winter -- and six months of gray can really take its toll on people.  But for me, a native of Oregon, it just means it's time to braise, make soups, bread, and long cooked pasta sauces.  Most chefs love to cook as the seasons get colder, mostly because we love those slow cooked foods and our customers are ready to eat again after taking the summer off.

John and I wake up this last Sunday morning to rain, wind and a definite chill in the air. We slogg off to the farmers market despite the rain.  Here, if you don’t go to the market in the rain you would miss half the season.  On the way to the market, we decide it’s feeling like a spaghetti and meatball night.  So, at the market, we quickly gather the last of the season’s basil and Italian parsley for the meatballs and some Romaine for a salad. We hurry home to warm up and make breakfast.

There are millions of recipes for meatballs and every cook has their own take on the classic meatball.  John and I are no exception and lately we've been working on perfecting our meatballs. Not those gut bombs but lighter and with great flavor.  And absolutely no raisins!  Sometimes people add currants or raisins to their meatballs -- I hate raisins in meatballs and currants are even worse because they're smaller and can hide more easily. 

First we decide on the mixture of meats: half beef and half pork.  (When we have the time we grind the meat fresh.)  The meat we use is always naturally raised or organic.  We sauté our onions and garlic before adding it to the meat.  ( When the onions are raw they are too strong and give me heartburn.)  The onions are chilled then folded into the meat with eggs, fresh herbs, cheese and really soft white breadcrumbs. 

Before we form the meatballs we cook a little test to taste for salt and pepper.  Once they are cooked, it's too late to really adjust the seasoning.  So we make a baby meatball and cook it off to taste before forming the rest of the meatballs.  Once we get the seasoning right we form the meatballs.  The best way to get them uniform is to use an ice cream scoop.  Neither of us wanted those little wimpy meatballs -- we wanted big manly meatballs.  To keep the meatballs intact better we like to dredge them first in flour, then brown them in a large saute pan, then finish them in the oven. Once cooked, we serve them sitting atop a nice bowl of spaghetti and sauce.  Almost as good is the next day when you make a leftover meatball sandwich….Glad I don't have to worry about wearing shorts for a good long time!

Meatballs

Makes 24 meatballs ( 4 ounces each )

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 pounds ground beef, 20% fat

2 pounds ground pork

3 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups soft white breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons each chopped fresh basil and Italian parsley

2 cups grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

Flour for dredging

Extra virgin olive oil for frying

Heat a saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and cook over medium heat until the onions start to brown about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute quickly. Remove from the pan and chill.  Once the onions are cold place in a large mixing bowl.  Add all the ingredients and mix well.  Try not to over mix the meat.  Cook off a test meatball.  Adjust seasonings.  Form the meatballs then dredge in flour.  Heat a large saute pan with enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  Brown the meatballs and place on a sheet pan.  Brown all the meatballs, add to sheet pan.  Just before serving, finish cooking in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Serve warm.