Cape Cod Magazine / Relish / January 2011 / Food and Wine Pairing: Mouthwatering Meatballs

Jan 10, 201110:44 AM

Savoring the Good Life of Cape Cod

Food and Wine Pairing: Mouthwatering Meatballs

January. OMG. Tough to think of a suitable food and wine pairing when we’ve all just over indulged on cookies, candy, cream and Cabernet. But no hard core foodie is going to let a little holiday regret stand in the way of good eats, right?

Actually, January aside, we as a culture are anything but dieting when it comes to the recipe inspiration we seek on the web. A quick Google search was pretty enlightening; here are the most popular recipe search terms of 2010:
1. cupcake
2. meatballs
3. rocky road
4. crumble topping
5. eton mess
6. pork belly
7. rhubarb fool
8. lemon posset
9. honey comb
10. beer batter

So, in the spirit of “everything’s good in moderation,” let’s take meatballs as our first recipe victim. Partially because even I think pork belly is too over the top so soon after New Year’s, and also because it’s cold out. And really, who doesn’t love a good meatball? Not to mention the fact that I had to re-Google “Eton Mess” and “Lemon Posset” to find out what they were. Interesting to learn that they are respectively: 1) a dessert made from strawberries, meringue and cream, and 2) a tangy, citrus pudding. And both from England. Maybe my laptop thought it was “on holiday” in the UK?

Anyway, meatballs. Mmmm. The best rendition I ever had includes an equal mix of ground beef, pork and veal; here's my take on it. No, I’m not Italian, but I assume these would make Nonna proud indeed.

Awesome Meatballs (serves 4)
• 1/4 pound ground beef
• 1/4 pound ground veal
• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic and 1/2 tsp kosher salt, smashed and “smeared” to a paste with the side of a chef’s knife
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (splurge for the good stuff, people!)
• handful Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
• big pinch dried oregano
• 3/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
1. Lightly beat eggs in a bowl. Add ground beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic paste, eggs, cheese, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.
2. Blend in bread crumbs
3. Mix together so the mixture is moist and loosely holds together. You may add a little bit of warm water if you need to adjust the consistency.
4. Shape into meatballs; cook (from a raw state) in your favorite tomato-based sauce recipe* (see suggestion below)

These are great with a big ladle of sauce and a good hunk of crusty bread... no pasta required. Complete the experience with a crisp green salad with just lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper, and maybe a few shavings of that really great Parm you bought for the meatballs.

Wine pairing: an Italian red will always do you right, but why not go for something a little different? Current favorites include the Negroamaro grape from Puglia, or a softer style Dolcetto d’Alba from the Piedmont region.

* There are lots of “gravy” recipes out there (did I mention I’m really not Italian?), including one perfected by my dear sister Jackie. But when I’m short on time, I usually fall back to one from the Mafia Cookbook (http://www.amazon.com/Mafia-Cookbook-Revised-Expanded/dp/0743226275) which is quick, easy to prepare and surprisingly delicious.

Marinara Sauce (courtesy of the Mafia Cookbook)

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped fine
• 1/4 cup olive oil (extra-virgin or virgin preferred)
• 1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes, chopped fine
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons crushed dried basil
• 1 cup chicken stock
• In a small saucepan, sauté garlic in olive oil until garlic dissolves (do not brown or burn). Add chopped tomatoes, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and allow to simmer over low heat for approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

Buon appetito!