Cooking On The Couch: Vic Rallo's Recipe For The Best Meatballs

NEW YORK (WLNY) -- National Meatball Day is this Sunday.

Vic Rallo, host of "Eat! Drink! Italy!" on PBS, stopped by The Couch to get us ready for the big day with his family recipe for the best meatballs.

Vic's Meatball Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef (prime)
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground veal
1 pound day old Italian bread soaked in water until soft and then drained
8 ounces grated Reggiano Parmigiano
2 ounces chopped Italian parsley
2 eggs beat in a bowl
3 ounces chopped garlic, sautéed until light brown in extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the veal, beef and pork until thoroughly integrated. (Use your hands with rubber gloves. Do NOT mix with a machine of any type). Add garlic, eggs, Reggiano Parmigiano, parsley, salt, and pepper and mix until all ingredients are combined.

2. Now here is the secret…fold in the bread by hand nice and easy. This makes the meatballs floaters not sinkers!

3. Form mixture into 2 - 2 1/2-ounce balls and lay out on a greased sheet pan.

4. In a 12-inch sauté pan on medium heat, add 6 ounces of extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, fry each meatball until golden brown. NOTE: You will have to continually add olive oil as the meatballs absorb oil. Always make sure olive oil is hot before adding meatballs to the sauté pan.

5. When meatballs are golden brown on all sides, cook for 1 hour in your favorite tomato sauce.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories: