Veal and Ricotta Meatballs at Craftbar

[suzy]

I had these the other night. Any idea if the recipe has ever been published - I would love to make them at home.

[Sheena]

You may want to try just asking them- I've had great luck with this approach and since this is likely a fairly non-esoteric recipe, you may prevail...

[kirk wallace]

if that fails, try asking Marco at Hearth; i think it is his recipe.

[Dyre]

Recipe copyright 2000, Mario Batali. All rights reserved.
1/2 pound veal shoulder, finely ground in a meat grinder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese, drained for 1 hour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
A few gratings nutmeg
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Flour, for dusting
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, for frying
2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
Basil leaves, for garnish
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the veal, cheese, egg, Parmigiano, nutmeg, salt and pepper. When the mixture is well-blended, shape it into several balls 1-inch diameter. Lightly dust each ball with the flour.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet with fairly high sides, heat the oil over high heat until just smoking. Add the balls, a few at a time, and cook until they are uniformly golden brown. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and keep warm while the remaining meatballs are cooked.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the tomato sauce over high heat until it begins to bubble. Keep hot while the meatballs cook.
Serve the meatballs in the hot sauce, with the basil leaves sprinkled over as garnish.
Basic Tomato Sauce:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
Salt, to taste
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Yield: 4 cups

[smokeandapancake]

i just made these a few weeks ago...im italian american..raised on macaroni and meatballs...have it every sunday...never thought to do this until recently. i now have my mother hooked. my family loves them...
http://laocfood.blogspot.com/2008/09/...

[nargi]

this isn't exactly a timely response, but if you're still looking for the recipe, I can give it to you (I work there).

[eviemichael]

I would love to see the recipe too! thanks :)
what is tom colicchio like?

[nargi]

posted below.

Um.. he's very quiet. He doesn't really say anything to anyone except the Chef. He likes to teach people things, though.

[NAtiveNewYorker]

please please please post the recipe; i love that dish

[smokeandapancake]

i posted a link to the recipe above

[nargi]

They've changed the recipe since then. It's still close, but not exactly the same.

A lot of dishes at Craft are slightly altered from those that are published (for example, the pickling liquid for.. pretty much any pickled vegetable).

[erica]

Yes, please post the Craft recipe!

[nargi]

Here's EXACTLY how we do it... feel free to change (and obviously pare down amounts) as you like.

Meatballs:
10 lbs ground veal
5 lbs house-made, drained ricotta
6 whole eggs
1/2 lb grated parmigano reggiano
(It used to have salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste - they took it out for some reason)

Combine all ingredients well. Shape into 3 oz balls and let sit, covered on a sheet pan under refrigeration to firm up a bit. When firm, roll each meatball in Wondra and fry in 350 degree canola oil until golden brown. Remove from the oil, drain and then braise in the sauce for 25 minutes (We use a hotel pan covered in foil).

The sauce:
1 #10 can whole plum tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic
1 sprig basil
1/4 lb whole, unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil

Slowly sweat the onion in the evoo until soft. Add the whole tomatoes, garlic and whole basil sprig. Cook on low-medium heat until the tomatoes break down. Remove the basil and discard. Blend using a stick blender and add the butter in chunks to emulsify into the sauce.

That's it. And it's garnished with fried oregano leaves and grated parm.

[erica]

MAny thanks!

[newfoodie]

Wow, I just looked at the recipe - pretty decadent! It actually reminds me a bit of the A16 Pork and Ricotta meatballs. Similar in composition and technique (although the A16 meatballs use a lot less cheese).

[smokeandapancake]

the ricotta makes the meatball SUPER moist...My advice, dont fry...just throw in the sauce raw and let it cook in there...