The Chefs of Little 16

meatball
bake & sub
Meatballs are sacred in my household. They are rich, delicious, and always remind me of the holidays and family. Here
we create a meatball bake using my family’s legendary recipe. The meat can be real meat, but Beyond Burgers can also
make a delicious substitute. Tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and the fatty meat simmer together in a cast iron pan.
Together they start in the oven and finish in the broiler. Scoop out a spoonful of the saucy-cheesy-meaty goodness and
serve on a bun to create a meatball sub or atop pasta with pecorino romano for a hearty Italian meal. This recipe makes
36 meatballs so scale down appropriately to fill a single cast-iron pan for a meatball bake.
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients thoroughly. I usually start with mixing the cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, onion, and black
pepper. Then work this into the ground beef and add the eggs last, and if needed, moisten with some water.
2. Roll the meatballs (about the size of an ice cream scoop) and place on a cookie sheet. You can put a drop of oil on
the palm of your hand as you roll them firmly and compactly; otherwise, they might crumble and fall apart
(though this step is controversial). I usually cover the cookie sheet with foil first and put the meatballs close to
each other since they don't expand.
3. Broil on high for 3-4 minutes and then turn over and broil for 2-3 minutes more or until they look crispy and a bit
cracked on the top. You can also bake them at 400F, turning once for about the same amount of time. Use your
own judgement based on appearance.
4. At this point the meatballs are not totally cooked since the expectation is that they will simmer for a number of
hours in a sauce. If you want to eat them without sauce, just broil or bake till they are cooked though.
5. Note: if using Beyond Burger mixture, use the same proportions, except reduce the eggs by 2. So, for ½ pound of
Beyond Burger, use about ½ egg, since the mixture is already very moist. You still need some egg to hold the
"meat"balls together while they cook. Broil, with the rack closer to the heat source, for five minutes on both
sides.
6. Use meatballs however you desire. To create a bake, add meatballs to cast-iron pan and top with your favorite
tomato sauce. Arrange fresh mozzarella atop and bake until the sauce is bubbling. Finish in the broiler until the
cheese is bubbling and browned. Scoop bake onto a hoagie bun for a meatball sub.
Ingredients
2 lbs ground sirloin or chuck
(85/15) or Beyond Burgers
2 cups pecorino romano
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp minced flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp minced onion
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 eggs
Tomato sauce
Fresh mozzarella
Hoagie roll for a sub
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