It’s meatball day!!!

[Nape]

I got all of these great tomatoes so I figured I might as well make some meatballs to go with em. I’m gonna make a real simple tomato sauce with onion, butter, and basil with meatballs.

 

[Overwatch]

Oh hell yes.

 

[Nape]

I’ll also add some of my own homegrown and dried cayennes for a little lagniappe.

 

[Nape]

Since my wife and sister in law are in FL taking care of their dad I invited my 3 nieces over. I’ll be outnumbered 4:1 by girls but I think I can handle it.

 

[PawPower1981]

 

[Nape]

Meatballs:

—1.25 pounds each ground veal, pork, and sirloin.
—1/2 cup chopped parsley
—2 eggs
—1/2 cup each grated Parmesan Reggiano and Pecorino Romano
—1 cup chopped red onion and 5 cloves of chopped garlic, sautéed in EVOO and really good butter. Seasoned with salt and ground cayenne. Cool down before adding to meat
—1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs soaked in 1/2 and 1/2. Enough liquid to make the mixture a loose slurry.







Mix it all together without trying to ruin the texture of the meat. I use my hands.

 

[Nape]

Now is the most important part that many forget. Make a small patty and cook it to test for seasoning, etc.

 

[4n6tox]

Next level right here.

 

[Nape]

Meatballs needed more S&P. Added about 3/4 tbsp salt and 1/2 tbsp pepper. Remixed and formed the meatballs. I put them on a half sheet pan lined with foil and covered in foil with a little oil spray on it plus a little water. These will roast about 45 minutes at 425 convection.

 

[irishaaron]

 

[Nape]

Now the sauce. These tomatoes are soooo fucking sweet it’s ridiculous. In the true Marcella Hazan style it’s simply 2, 28oz cans of SMs (crushed by hand after you put them in the pot), a whole large onion, halved, and 10 tbsp good butter (I use Kerry Irish Gold unsalted), Add about a 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt/sea salt and 3 whole, dried cayennes. This is a double recipe since I’m making a big batch.

Put all of the ingredients in a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven/sauce pan while the heat is off. Bring up to a simmer and reduce to barely a simmer.


I’m still trying to figure out if I wanna just put the sauce over the meatballs or add them to the sauce for a while to soak up the love.

 

[Nape]

I forgot....the chef needs seasoning as well.

 

[Nape]

10 minutes in and it’s already far and away the best sauce I’ve ever made. No meatballs going into this pot. I’ll drape sauce over the finished meatballs.

 

[Nape]

Meatballs are done and perfectly juicy. The sauce over top is the way to go. I’ll add some grated PR over top when the girls get here.

 

[Nape]

I don’t think I’ll even add basil to the sauce. I don’t think I’ve ever had a sauce that doesn’t need fresh basil. I’m stunned.

 

[22*43*51]

I’ve got a semi.

 

[UNC71-00]

Do you just stick with Gumball or switch to Chianti or some other red wine?

 

[Nape]

Do you just stick with Gumball or switch to Chianti or some other red wine?

Red wine when the girls get here. Usually a Barolo or Sangiovese. Not sure what I have down in the cave.

 

[UNC71-00]

And how many meatballs are you making per person?

 

[UNC71-00]

Also, about those onion halves in the sauce. Do you separate them and serve them with the sauce or are they just there for the simmer?

 

[shiv]

@Nape would you care if I complied these threads and hosted them in the media section?

 

[Nape]

 

[UNC71-00]

Now the sauce. These tomatoes are soooo fucking sweet it’s ridiculous. In the true Marcella Hazan style it’s simply 2, 28oz cans of SMs (crushed by hand after you put them in the pot), a whole large onion, halved, and 10 tbsp good butter (I use Kerry Irish Gold unsalted), Add about a 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt/sea salt and 3 whole, dried cayennes. This is a double recipe since I’m making a big batch.

Put all of the ingredients in a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven/sauce pan while the heat is off. Bring up to a simmer and reduce to barely a simmer.
View attachment 7997
View attachment 7998
I’m still trying to figure out if I wanna just put the sauce over the meatballs or add them to the sauce for a while to soak up the love.

One more thing- are the quantities you listed the double, or did you use twice what you listed?

I fucking love meatballs. This is the first thing I’m gonna make when my Gustiamo order comes in- sorry to ask so many questions but I am a novice

 

[Nape]

And how many meatballs are you making per person?

I made 12 total. One per for the girls. If my boys were here they’d be all gone.

 

[Nape]

Also, about those onion halves in the sauce. Do you separate them and serve them with the sauce or are they just there for the simmer?

I just pulled them out of the sauce since they were a little dilapidated.

 

[Nape]

One more thing- are the quantities you listed the double, or did you use twice what you listed?

I fucking love meatballs. This is the first thing I’m gonna make when my Gustiamo order comes in- sorry to ask so many questions but I am a novice

For the meatballs that was one recipe. The sauce was a double recipe. Typical recipe is one 28oz can.

 

[Nape]

@Nape would you care if I complied these threads and hosted them in the media section?

Have at it pal.

 

[Lethal34fl2]

Ifl

 

[shiv]

Have at it pal.

I'm gonna have @JackOfSpeed get the first unofficial Nape cookbook set up Monday

 

[RockyMtnEagle]

Thanks @Nape.....I made your chicken piccata with orzo last night and the kiddos cleaned their plates and ate leftovers before I woke up.

I love your threads as much as @Esso Club.....although he provides some nice dessert

 

[RJ2kWJ]

I'm gonna have @JackOfSpeed get the first unofficial Nape cookbook set up Monday

Hell yes.

 

[Nape]

Thanks @Nape.....I made your chicken piccata with orzo last night and the kiddos cleaned their plates and ate leftovers before I woke up.

I love your threads as much as @Esso Club.....although he provides some nice dessert

My kids destroy that as well. It’s so good.

 

[Nape]

Thanks @Nape.....I made your chicken piccata with orzo last night and the kiddos cleaned their plates and ate leftovers before I woke up.

I love your threads as much as @Esso Club.....although he provides some nice dessert

I make a mean veal saltimbocca that is just as easy. You can sub pork or chicken cutlets for the veal and it’s just as good.

 

[Hutchhawk]

 

[America 1st]

If @Nape doesn't get his own website to push this shit crootn is failing.

Dude could have a full line of products and a whole cook show (think Sam the cooking guy but way better).

 

[RJ2kWJ]

If @Nape doesn't get his own website to push this shit crootn is failing.

Dude could have a full line of products and a whole cook show (think Sam the cooking guy but way better).

We aren’t going to fail on this.

 

[Nape]

Cooking is for family and friends. It’s always tough when the whole fam is over. 13 of us is a lot of people to cook for and I don’t enjoy doing that very often. I’ll stick to DLJ for the market. That’s easily scalable.

 

[RJ2kWJ]

Cooking is for family and friends. It’s always tough when the whole fam is over. 13 of us is a lot of people to cook for and I don’t enjoy doing that very often. I’ll stick to DLJ for the market. That’s easily scalable.

Smart move. Still a marketing and sales standpoint for what you’re capable of leaving the kids. You’re on another level.

 

[Nape]

My girls were keeping me from posting just before we ate. When the pasta is just about al dente take a couple cups of the sauce and put it in a pan over medium low heat:

Add the pasta and cook it for 3-5 minutes over that medium low heat to get the sauce into the macaroni:

Plate and add a little extra sauce and some grated Reggiano to finish. Notice how the pasta isn’t swimming in sauce. Be sure, though, that cooking it in that sauce gives it all the flavor it needs.

 

[Nape]

Smart move. Still a marketing and sales standpoint for what you’re capable of leaving the kids. You’re on another level.

Agree. But seeing the faces on my daughter and nieces when they eat my food makes cooking worth it. I have a great pic of all of them that I sent my parents and wife/sis in law and In laws. They know....