Our home tends to make meatballs of some sort on a regular basis. We make the Greek Keftedes and Soutzoukakia, some turkey meatballs with lots of onion, Swedish meatballs, and Italian-style meatballs. To make a long story short, we love meatballs. Every culture has some sort of meatball in their cuisine and I like trying all sorts of them out. This is the third, and probably not the last meatball recipe I will do.

I’ve already posted a recipe for Soutzoukakia and Sicilian style meatballs. Time for a third!

This time it is Neapolitan style meatballs. Why? Because these turned out amazing! Similar to the Sicilian recipe since there is sauce, but the meatballs itself are a different thing.

These have a very cheesy flavor profile as I use a large amount to Pecorino Romano in them. Once cooked off a bit, I let most of them take a bath in the simple tomato sauce. I leave some out of the sauce so we can also have just the meatball itself.

In many cases, I use white bread or homemade bread crumbs as a filler. However, this time I used panko that I had available, and I really like the texture it gives the meatballs. To be completely honest, using panko is easier than making your own bread crumbs.

These make a fantastic appetizer. We had them with a simple salad and it became the whole meal. They’re that good.

Here’s the recipe:

MEATBALLS, NEAPOLITAN STYLE

Makes 24 meatballs

MEATBALLS

• 2 lb lean ground beef (I used 90%)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 28oz can tomato puree or passata
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 3 inch rind of Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorio Romano
• salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (yes, that is hot. I want a bit of a crust on them. We lower the temp after they are in).

In a skillet, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and add the onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until they are soft. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until you smell the garlic. Don’t let the garlic burn. Take off the heat and put in a large bowl.

In another bowl, add the water to the panko until softened. It’s usually about 1 cup to 2 cups of panko to soften. Sometimes you’ll need a bit more water. Mix up really well and let it soak for a few minutes.

In the large bowl, add the moist panko, the cup of cheese, the eggs, and some salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Use your hands, it’s fun and the best way to mix. Add the meat and another splash of olive oil and mix, with those hands, until it is all the same consistency.

Cover a large dish with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Shape the meat into 2-inch diameter balls and place them on the dish. You should have 24 meatballs of the same size. Put them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. Chilling them will help them keep their shape better.

FOR THE SAUCE:

In a large saucepot, add some olive oil and sauté the onion with some salt and pepper until softened, much like for the meatballs. Add the garlic and some more chili flakes and cook for another half a minute or until fragrant.

Add the tomato passata (I like passata more than sauce. You can use puree or sauce instead. I like the fresh flavor the passata gives it). Add the rind of the cheese. I used a Parmigiano Reggiano rind as I have a few of them. Bring it up to a low simmer and cook uncovered for half an hour or so until it thickens nicely. You’re going to want to have a thick sauce for the meatballs, so ensure it is not runny. A half-hour low simmer should be about right.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER:

Place the meatballs on an oiled baking sheet and place in a 500-degree oven. After a minute or so, lower the oven to 350 degrees and cook for about 30 minutes.

Once cooked, place the meatballs very carefully in the sauce and let the flavors meld on the lowest simmer you can do for a few minutes. They’re ready to serve at this point.

These do not last long.

OPA!