By John Kirkendall
Every once in a while I get a yearning for those perfect Italian meatballs doused in Marina Sauce and served over pasta. A hot and crusty Italian Bread with a green salad are all that are needed to complete this repast. Your friends will love it. You will, too. Come to think of it, a thick slice of lemon meringue pie at the end, while not exactly Italian, makes a delicious conclusion!
To me, it is nirvana.
The ingredients are the sine qua non of the meatballs, so look high and low until you find the exact ones called for here. You will find it worth your while. Compliments await. This is not your economy meal of the month. The ingredients are the best and their cost reflects that.
Mortadella and Proscuitto Meatballs
Makes 4 to 6 servings
• 3 slices white bread – crust removed (Use the ends of the Italian bread you are not serving or another firm white bread).
• 1 cup milk.
• 2 ounces mortadella (about one 1/2-inch thick slice), chopped.
• 2 ounces prosciutto (about one 1/4-inch thick slice), chopped.
• 1 pound ground pork.
• 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1 cup).
• 2 large eggs, beaten.
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.
• 6 cups homemade or store-bought marinara sauce.
This is how to put it together –
1. In a small bowl, combine the bread and milk and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and discard any milk that hasn’t been absorbed by the bread. Tear the bread into 1/4-inch pieces. Reserve.
2. In a food processor, combine the mortadella and prosciutto and pulse until the meat is coarsely ground – about 8 one-second pulses.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mortadella and prosciutto with the ground pork, Parmesan, eggs and bread. Add the nutmeg and season the mixture well with salt and pepper. Mix gently by hand until just combined. Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour before forming the meat into about 14 golf-ball-size meatballs.
4. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Cover the meatballs with the marinara sauce, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, partially covered, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
Marinara Sauce
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
Tip: Use a nonreactive saucepan, made out of stainless steel, glass, clay, or enamel. A reactive pan made out of aluminum or copper will react to the acids in ingredients like tomatoes, vinegar, and wine.
Add 1 cup small chopped onion and 1 finely chopped garlic clove. Cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in one 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes with their juice, breaking up the tomatoes with the side of a spoon. Next add 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Heat the sauce to boiling and break up any remaining tomatoes.
Reduce the heat and partially cover. Stirring occasionally, simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
This recipe yields about 3 1/2 cups
Judge John Kirkendall is a retired Washtenaw County Probate judge. He presently serves on the Elder Law Advisory Board of the Stetson University College of Law. He has taught cooking classes for more than 25 years at various cooking schools in the Ann Arbor area and has himself attended classes at Cordon Bleu and La Varenne in Paris, as well as schools in New York, New Orleans and San Francisco. He is past president of the National College of Probate Judges. He can be reached at Judgejnk@yahoo.com.
