Beef, Pork, and Ricotta Meatballs

I love meatballs! When I was cooking at Third & Vine our meatballs and polenta small plate was a guest favorite. These perfectly tender and succulent meatballs paired with creamy polenta or grits and either my homemade marinara sauce or your favorite jarred sauce will delight your family or guests at any occasion.

This dish makes a great appetizer for a crowd, a perfect meal for 4-6 people, or looks amazing on a large platter on a buffet table.

I may get some flack from Southerners or true Italians for using instant polenta or grits but truth be told there is no difference in quality or taste and the instant products save you at least 25-30 minutes cooking time. And since we are making meatballs and possibly sauce from scratch saving time on the polenta or grits is a welcome advantage. Serve this up with some crusty bread and a crisp light salad for the perfect meal.

Enjoy!

For the Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1/2 lb ricotta

1 large white onion

1 large or 2 small carrots

1 stalk celery

10 large cloves garlic

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 fresh parsley leaves

1/4 fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cups grated parmesan

2-3 cups bread crumbs

3 eggs

1 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp seasoned salt

2 tsp garlic salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F

Puree the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in the food processor.

Pulse the basil, parsley, and oregano in the food processor to chop.

Combine the vegetables and their juices with the herbs, ricotta, eggs, bread crumbs, and spices in a large bowl and mix until well combined.

Add the meats and mix until just homogeneous.

Make a small patty and pan fry to test for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Portion the meatballs using a size 40 ice cream scoop or approximately 2 tablespoons of meat mixture per ball.

Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 400 and cook another 15 minutes.

*If not serving immediately allow the meatballs to cool for 15 minutes before refrigerating - they can also be frozen, thawed, and reheated in sauce when needed.

For the Polenta

Ingredients:

4 cups water

1 cup instant polenta or grits

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Place the water and butter with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large pot and bring it to a boil.

Once boiling slowly pour in the polenta or grits while whisking constantly so the polenta doesn't form lumps.

Continue whisking as the mixture thickens. It will bubble a lot and splatter so be careful not to get burned.

The polenta or grits should be done in about 5-7 minutes (for exact cooking time refer to the package of whatever polenta or grits you purchased.

To finish remove from the heat and whisk in the parmesan cheese. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasoning as needed. If the polenta is very thick you can add a little more water or milk to make it more creamy.

To serve: pour the polenta on a large platter or serving bowl or divide into 4-6 smaller bowls. Top with 4-5 meatballs and marinara sauce then garnish with some chopped fresh parsley and/or basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese and finish with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil.

*Look for my marinara sauce recipe next week.