Autumn's redemption...

Authentic Meatballs and Marinara Sauce

My sister, Autumn, is a fabulous cook. Really. She can cook the pants off of almost everyone (except, of course, her humble eldest sister). She values quality and true flavor, and delivers only the best. She is amazing. But she apparently sucks at making meatballs. I say apparently because both her husband, and her beloved twin sister, Stephanie, have on separate occasions asked her not to cook them again (we are a family known for unbridled honesty) and those requests have spared me from ever eating them. She shared their requests with me as she sat at my table eating the meatballs with marinara in the recipe below. THIS, she said, would be her redemption. This recipe is from the famous Maroni’s Cuisine in Long Island, a recipe over a hundred years old from the owner’s Italian great grandmother, and frequently cited in food magazines as the best meatballs and sauce in the country. Autumn is now 5 months pregnant with her second child, so who knows when she’ll get around to making it, but when she does, watch out!

I realize that this recipe calls for unusual quantities. Just believe me and make it exactly as written. It is FABULOUS. I also realize the meatball recipe is all in ounces. Use a kitchen scale, but if you don’t have this incredibly valuable tool, I will make very general approximations, so you can at least make the recipe. (Really, go get a scale! ) Bread crumbs: 2 cups; Parmesan/Romano: 3 cups (seriously); Onion: ½ a medium-large onion; Garlic: 7 cloves; Parsley and Basil: Huge handfuls of each. I also use a 2 Tb. scoop to scoop it onto the baking sheet. Makes 35 meatballs and enough sauce for a pound and a half of pasta, about 6-8 servings.

Meatballs:
1 pound ground chuck
4 ounces fresh bread crumbs
4 large eggs
4 ounces whole milk
6 ounces grated Parmesan or Romano
3 ounces grated yellow onion
2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic
2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves
½ tsp salt
Pepper to taste

Oven to 350*. Oil a baking sheet with a bit of olive oil. Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. If mixture seems to loose, add a bit more breadcrumbs. (I have never had to do this.) Roll about 2 Tb. of the mixture into a meatball, (or use a scoop) and bake for approx 30 minutes.

Sauce:
6 ounces good olive oil
12 cloves garlic, pressed (really!)
1 large or 2 medium yellow onions, grated or very finely chopped
2 28-ounce cans imported crushed tomatoes (we love San Marzano brand)
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp pepper
1 large handful fresh basil leaves, julienned

In saucepan over medium heat, add oil. Once heated, add onions and garlic. Cook until soft. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir. Let come to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add basil.