The Best Meatballs

I promised to share the secrets for the best Italian meatballs after taking a cooking class with the famous Mamma Agata. Mamma is a favorite chef among celebrities such as Pierce Brosnan, Michael Jordan, and more. During her all-day class in the beautiful mountain town of Ravella, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast, I learned cooking tips from her that I had never known before and that truly make a huge difference in the final dishes.

I’d return for more of her amazing classes in a heartbeat!

Now, to be honest, like almost every Italian recipe, there will not only be REGIONAL differences in meatball recipes, but there will also be FAMILY differences in meatball recipes. Seriously, have you watched the variety of meatball videos on YouTube? The differences are crazy, crazy in those recipes alone! That’s not even mentioning the differences in meatball recipes written in Italian cookbooks or food blogs, including those that aren’t even Italian (because you don’t have to be Italian to make the beloved meatballs, right?).

What confuses people when making meatballs:

Do you use beef only? Or beef and pork combined? Or do you add Italian sausage to the mix?

Well, I use all 3 (beef, pork, and sausage) so that the meatballs don’t taste so FLAT and one-dimensional. How boring is that?

But I try to take everything I make over the top, so I also add a wee bit of prosciutto and pancetta – 2 meats that, when added in a small dose, make all the difference between meatballs that SING and meatballs that are completely boring.

NEXT:

How about breadcrumbs? THIS IS A BIG DEAL!!!!

Do you use dried breadcrumbs? Do you use prepared dried breadcrumbs packaged already in a can purchased from the store? Do you use soft bread when making your own bread for the meatballs? Or do you use dry bread soaked in milk/water for the meatballs?

It’s dizzying how many ways recipes differ when it comes to the breadcrumbs!

NEXT:

Do you fry, bake, or sear the meatballs?

NEXT:

If you fry or sear meatballs, can you use any kind of oil? Or do you use olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, etc.?

What herbs and aromatics do you use in meatballs? And should they be fresh, or dried, or even from a jar?

How about the sauce? Do you bake the meatballs in a sauce in the oven, or do you simmer them in a sauce on the stove?

YOU SEE WHERE I’M GOING WITH THIS?

Well, after taking Mamma Agata’s class, I have the answers to the questions above!

Here are the secrets that Chiara (Mamma Agata’s daughter) shared with us during the class and that are also presented in her cookbook:

  • Never buy breadcrumbs already made, whether in a can/jar/or plastic bag — always make your own bread mixture by soaking dry, day-old, stale bread in milk and water. This makes the meatballs lighter and fluffier and not hard!!
  • Use only artisan Italian or French bread that is at least 1 day old, stale, and dry; cut crusts off…..do NOT use commercial brand white bread.
  • Use fatty ground beef, not lean ground beef.
  • Use a combination of ground meats: I use beef, pork, and Italian sausage
  • Add a kick of flavor with a tiny bit of ground up prosciutto and/or pancetta (I use both).
  • Use ONLY freshly-grated Parmigiano cheese, do not use pre-grated or pre-shreded Parmesan in a bag or can.
  • If searing or frying the meatballs, only use peanut or canola oil.
  • For fewer calories, sear the meatballs. For even fewer calories, bake the meatballs.
  • Don’t overdo adding the garlic or it will overpower the entire dish.
  • When using basil, never use a knife to chop it up; always use your hands to tear or rip the leaves, or use a mortar and pestle (only when making pesto).

Here’s a helpful video to follow and learn from when making Italian meatballs!

The Best Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs – Super Moist & Flavorful

5 from 3 reviews
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour
Cook in Tomato Sauce: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours
Yield: 45 2″ meatballs
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I learned amazing secrets during a cooking class from the famous Mamma Agata (chef to celebrities), located in the beautiful mountainside town of Ravella, Italy along the Amalfi Coast. Each secret shared in this recipe makes all the difference between average meatballs and the BEST, most superb meatballs. You'll be so happy to know these!

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups day-old, stale, crustless bread, cut into cubes
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups water
  • 1-½ cup freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, (plus a wedge for garnish). . . do NOT use the pre-grated version from a can
  • 1 small onion, (grated using a standard box grater in a large bowl, minced to make 1 cup and also keep the juices of the grated onion)
  • â…” cup Italian parsley, finely minced
  • 3 jumbo eggs
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • â…› cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. Italian seasonings, dried or fresh (oregano, rosemary, sage)
  • 1 tsp sea salt, freshly-cracked (if possible)
  • ½ tsp. black pepper, freshly-cracked (if possible)
  • 1 lb. ground pork (preferably pork butt)
  • 1 lb. ground beef, not lean
  • 1 lb. ground mild Italian sausage
  • 1 slice pancetta, cut 1/4" thick, finely chopped in a mini food processor
  • 1 slice prosciutto, cut ¼" thick, finely chopped in a mini food processor
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour for dredging meatballs, for your hands to be somewhat dryer
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 quart peanut or vegetable oil for frying (do not use olive oil or canola oil)

Tomato Sauce (Salsas di Pomodoro). This is presented in another blog post.

  • 5 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 48 oz. tomato pasatta (tomato puree)
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced by fingers, do not cut with a knife to bruise it
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Remove the crust from the very old, dry, hard-as-a-rock bread and discard it. Cut into slices and then cubes — allow bread to set until it is rock hard.
  • In a large mixing bowl, soak the bread in milk and water for 30 minutes to soften the bread, before mixing it in the ground meat mixture.
  • With your hands (use plastic gloves and/or clean hands), take the bread that has been soaking in the milk & water and squeeze out all of the milk and water. Place the moist bread on a plate and set aside. Discard the milk water.
  • Combine the softened, moist breadcrumbs with the ground meats, prosciutto, and pancetta in a large bowl.
  • Using clean hands or with plastic gloves: In a large mixing bowl, combine the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, onion & juice, Italian parsley, eggs, garlic, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Using clean hands (or wear plastic gloves), mix everything to combine thoroughly.
  • Now combine the meat/breadcrumb mixture to the chese, egg, and herb mixture that you just mixed together. IMPORTANT: Use only the tips of your fingers to combine the ingredients so that you do NOT overwork the mixture, which causes the meatballs to be heavy and hard.
  • Place some flour on a clean plate for dredging the meatballs.
  • After combining all of the meatball ingredients, take a small amount of the mixture and roll it into 2" round ball shapes, in the flour. Use a scoop if you prefer for consistency in size, but Mamma Agata did not use a scoop.
  • Roll the meatballs in the flour. Shake off any excess. Place them on a clean plate. Repeat this process until all of the meat mixture is made into meatballs.
  • Place the floured meatballs onto a baking sheet pan and cover with plastic cling wrap. Refrigerate the meatballs for at least 1 hour or overnight. This allows the fat in the meats to solidify so the meatballs keep their shape when cooked.
  • Fry, bake, or sear the meatballs and then bake in tomato saucer according to (separate) instructions.

Frying the Meatballs (option #1)

  • Use a 3 – 4" deep frying pan about 10" wide with a handle. Cast iron is the most ideal pan to use. The older and more seasoned (through use) the pan, the better the frying results.
  • Use at least 1 quart of fresh, new (never used before) peanut or vegetable oil (only, no other type of oil). Be generous with the oil! Leave 1" of oil from the top of the pan. Do not overfill the frying pan with meatballs which would impact the oil's temperature. Allow enough room in between the meatballs for them to 'move around' in the pan.
  • The oil must be very hot to ahieve the best results, at least 374℉ (190℃). Before frying, test the temperature of the oil by placing a small meatball in the oil….the oil is hot and ready when the meatball floats to the top of the oil and starts to bubble. When frying, the meatballs should NOT sink to the bottom of the pan and stay there. They should immediately start to float to the top and there should be a lot of bubbling. If they don't, the oil is not hot enough and needs to heat more before frying.
  • Place the cooked meatballs on a clean plate and proceed to the baking steps.

Searing the Meatballs (option #2)

  • Pour peanut or vegetable oil into a large deep heavy Dutch oven pot or any ovenproof pot so that there is ¼" deep of oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is almost smoking and slides easily in the pan, about 2 – 3 minutes.
  • Working in batches, place the meatballs in a single layer in the pan and 'sear' them until they are lightly browned all over, being gentle when turning them so they don't fall apart, about 6 minutes.
  • Remove the meatballs to a clean plate. Add more oil to the pan and heat it up again to almost smoking before cooking the next batch of meatballs in the same way.
  • Place the cooked meatballs on a clean plate and proceed to the baking steps.

Baking the Meatballs (option #3)

  • Place meatballs on a large baking sheet pan at least ½" apart.
  • At 350℉, bake for 1 hour.

Baking the Meatballs in Sauce after Frying, Searing or Baking Them

  • Heat the oven to 350℉
  • Turn off the heat and wipe the oil from the pan, trying to keep the little browned bits in the pan if you can (there is a lot of flavor in those little bits). Return all of the meatballs to the pan.
  • Add the tomato passata to the pan and cover all of the meatballs. Add as much as you need to completely cover the meatballs.
  • Braise the meatballs in the oven for approximately 20 minutes (the larger you make your meatballs, the more time they will need to bake).
  • Remove the meatballs from the oven and allow them to rest in the sauce for at least 10 minutes.

Passata (Tomato Sauce) for Meatballs

  • Follow the recipe provided on a separate recipe card. It is the most basic and delicious marinara sauce used for every recipe requiring it.

Notes

 
 
 
 
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment and send me a photo to share here on the blog! Or share it on Instagram @italianbellavita or use the hashtag #italianbellavita.