Veal Ricotta Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh ricotta cheese
- 1 pound ground veal (have the butcher triple grind the veal), chilled
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus additional for serving
- 1 tablespoon of kosher salt plus an additional for seasoning the sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- About 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 jar Tomato Basil Jersey Tomato Sauce
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
1. Spoon the ricotta onto a large piece of cheesecloth; gather the sides together around the cheese and tie closed. Place the wrapped cheese in a sieve set over a bowl. Weight the cheese and refrigerate overnight to drain.
2. Combine the ricotta, veal, eggs and Parmigiano in a large bowl. Season the mixture with 1 tablespoon salt, a generous amount of pepper and nutmeg. Mix vigorously until completely smooth, pale and homogenized, about 4 minutes. Chill the mixture thoroughly before shaping it into meatballs.
3. Dust a baking sheet and your hands with flour. Keep the remaining flour nearby in a bowl. Gently form the meat into balls about 2 ½" in diameter, flouring your hands again between meatballs. (Alternatively, use a floured ice cream scoop to form the meatballs.) Arrange the meatballs on the floured baking sheet. Cover the meatballs with plastic wrap and chill or freeze. 4. Warm the tomato sauce in a large Dutch oven or high-sided skillet over medium-low heat.
5. Heat about ½" oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, begin carefully frying the meatballs in batches moving them as little as possible. Cook the meatballs until the bottoms are nicely browned, about 2 minutes, then gently turn them.
6. Continue frying until the meatballs are browned all over, about 10 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the meatballs to the pot of tomato sauce.
7. Finish cooking the meatballs in the tomato sauce, simmering gently over medium-low heat for at least 30 minutes. (They can remain in the sauce for hours without ill effects.)