Veal Meatballs

Name: Veal Meatballs
Yield: Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion, finely diced (about 2 cups); 2 teaspoons salt; 2 pounds ground veal; 3 large eggs; 2/3 cup bread crumbs; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1 carrot, finely diced (about 1 cup); 1 celery stalk, finely diced; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

January 24, 2012

With its rich and subtle flavor, veal is one of the traditional meats used in Italian meatballs. Here we layer it with Parmesan cheese, oregano, and aromatic vegetables. At the Shop we use veal breast, which is inexpensive and has a relatively high fat content. It is a bit more work to butcher and grind, but it’s worth the exceptional outcome. Ask your butcher in advance to bone the breast and grind it for you. Serve with Sauce Vierge (page 65) and Braised Green Beans (page 101).

Recipe information

Yield
Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced (about 2 cups)

2 teaspoons salt

2 pounds ground veal

3 large eggs

2/3 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 carrot, finely diced (about 1 cup)

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a 9 × 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
Step 2
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the onions and salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions just start to turn translucent and begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a plate and place in the refrigerator to cool.
Step 3
Combine the cooled onions with the ground veal, eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan, carrots, celery, parsley, oregano, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
Step 4
Roll the mixture into round, golf ball–size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
Step 5
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
Step 6
Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation. Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick. Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.

TagsMeatball Italian European Onion Root Vegetable Vegetable Veal Beef Meat Parmesan Cheese Dairy Carrot Main Starter Dinner Nut Free Easy Roast Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Recipe notes