Excellent Classic Meatballs

ninja's Note:

These are the best meatballs I've ever tasted!! Add them to a simmering pot of sauce, have meatball subs or, as one blog suggested, serve them on top of polenta for a surprisingly tasty entree. The sauteed onions and garlic make this recipe special, but you can vary the meats or the size of the meatballs to suit your tastes. From chef Anne Burrell, Mario Batali's long time sous chef on Iron Chef America, who mixes crazy personality with excellent techniques. The recipe came with one for marinara sauce, but there are so many good ones posted here I didn't include it.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 23 mins
• Prep Time: 40 mins
• Cook Time: 43 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 18 golfbal ...

• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion , cut in a 1/4-inch dice
• kosher salt (don't use regular)
• 2 garlic cloves , smashed and chopped
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ lb ground beef
• ½ lb ground veal
• ½ lb ground pork
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup grated parmigiano
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup water

Directions:

1. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with Kosher salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the cooled onion mixture, season generously with Kosher salt and squish some more. Add the water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet.
3. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't, it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big; some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides.
6. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to a big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! YUM!