Meatballs

also called polpette · italian meatballs · meatballs in sauce · spaghetti and meatballs · meatball · meatball parm

Three ways to read this recipe

The table

Meatballs: ingredients down the left, what to do with them across. Tap any cell to cross it off.
3 slices(crusts off, torn small)stale white breadsoak the bread to a pastemix by hand, and stop earlyroll 18 balls, chill 20 minbrown all over, 8 minsimmer 45 min in the sauce
3/4 cup(180 mL)whole milk
1 lb(450 g; 80/20)ground beef
1/2 lb(225 g)ground pork
1/2 lb(225 g)ground veal
3/4 cup(75 g)grated pecorino
2 large(100 g)eggs
4 cloves(minced)garlic
1/4 cup(chopped)flat-leaf parsley
2 tspkosher salt
1 tspblack pepper
1/4 cup(60 mL)extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups(1.2 L; from the recipe on this shelf)marinara sauce
Fry a teaspoon of the mix flat and taste it before you roll the rest. Stop mixing as soon as it holds
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.14 things to get out.

Pans and tools

1soak the bread to a paste

2mix by hand, and stop early

goes in with what step 1 made

4brown all over, 8 min

goes in with what step 3 made

5simmer 45 min in the sauce

goes in with what step 4 made

Cooking it

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
at least 1 hr 23 min1 of 5 steps gives no time
Needs you
about 8 min
If you get it wrong
Unforgiving — they finish in the sauce and they finish cooked through, not pink at the centre, whatever the outside looks like
  1. soak the bread to a paste

    10 minwalk awayfrom the start

  2. mix by hand, and stop early

    not timed10 min in

  3. roll 18 balls, chill 20 min

    20 minwalk away10 min in

  4. brown all over, 8 min

    8 minneeds you30 min in

  5. simmer 45 min in the sauce

    45 minwalk away38 min in

You'll need pan

Goes with

See how it is written
>> title: Meatballs
>> category: Stews & Braises
>> tags: beef, pork, veal, tomato, italian, braise
>> counters: Pizzeria, The Bowl Shop
>> aka: polpette, italian meatballs, meatballs in sauce, spaghetti and meatballs, meatball, meatball parm
>> pairs-with: marinara-sauce, fresh-egg-pasta
>> servings: 6
>> time: 1 hr 45 min
>> slack: unforgiving — they finish in the sauce and they finish cooked through, not pink at the centre, whatever the outside looks like

>> step: soak the bread to a paste
Soak @stale white bread{3%slices}(crusts off, torn small) in @whole milk{3/4%cup}(180 mL) ~soak{10%min}, then mash it to a smooth paste with a fork.

>> step: mix by hand, and stop early
Mix @ground beef{1%lb}(450 g; 80/20), @ground pork{1/2%lb}(225 g), @ground veal{1/2%lb}(225 g), @grated pecorino{3/4%cup}(75 g), @eggs{2%large}(100 g), @garlic{4%cloves}(minced), @flat-leaf parsley{1/4%cup}(chopped), @kosher salt{2%tsp} and @black pepper{1%tsp} into @&(~1)panade{} with your hands, and stop the moment it comes together.

>> step: roll 18 balls, chill 20 min
Roll @&(~1)meatball mix{} into 18 balls the size of a golf ball, wetting your palms between, and ~chill{20%min} on a tray.

>> step: brown all over, 8 min
Brown @&(~1)meatballs{} in @extra-virgin olive oil{1/4%cup}(60 mL) in a wide #pan{} over medium-high heat ~brown{8%min}, turning them onto three or four faces rather than rolling them about.

>> step: simmer 45 min in the sauce
Simmer @&(~1)browned meatballs{} in @marinara sauce{5%cup}(1.2 L; from the recipe on this shelf) ~simmer{45%min}, half covered, until a spoon goes through one without resistance.

Fry a teaspoon of the mix flat and taste it before you roll the rest. Stop mixing as soon as it holds together.