AD HOC MEATBALLS

This recipe is from Thomas Keller's wonderful new cookbook, Ad Hoc. Though it's great to grind your own meat, and it does make a difference in flavor and texture, it is not necessary. For the purposes of this recipe, I have assumed you will just buy ground meat from your butcher or supermarket. I have listed the actual cooking time and temperature for the meatballs as listed in Ad Hoc, but I found this was less than needed to cook the meatballs all the way through. Let me know what you think...

Homemade Meatballs

Recipe from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc, Copyright 2009 by Thomas Keller

Serves 4-6 people

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cup choped onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Kosher Salt and Pepper

12 ounces ground beef sirloin

12 ounces ground beef chuck

8 ounces ground pork butt

8 ounces ground veal shoulder or top round

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (homemade preferably)

3 tablepoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 large egg

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

Heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat. Cook gently for about 20 minutes, to soften the vegetables without browning them. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Add the onion and garlic, bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and the egg to the meat and mix gently to incorporate evently; do not overwork the mixture. To check the seasoning, put a small patty of the meat on a plate and cook in the microwave for 30 seconds, then taste and add more salt if desired (I suggest you do this--it was totally worth it. That's me talking, by the way, not Thomas).

Divide the mixture into 12 equal balls, using a scant 1/2 cup (4 ounces) for each.

Cut the cheese into 12 cubes, abou 3/4 inch. shape the meatballs, stuffing a cube of cheese into the center of each one.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet.

Put the meatballs on the cooling rack and bake for 15-18 minutes, until cooked through but still juicy. Remove from the oven and let the meatballs rest on the rack for a few minutes before serving.

(Miss E note: serve with pasta, homemade or not, and thick tomato sauce, homemade or not)