Dance While You Cook: White Wine Infused Meatballs

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

White Wine Infused Meatballs

I grew up eating my Italian Grandmother's homemade meatballs every time we visited. I surprised myself yesterday when I realized that I have never made her delicious meatballs for my own children.

Pulling out the old yellowed index card handwritten with her recipe, it became clear why I had been ignoring this treasure over the past few years. It calls for Italian bread and Romano cheese, both of which we haven't had in this house for years now.

Recently, I've made up my mind to not let that hold me back on my old-time favorites.

In this slight variation of my Grandmother's recipe, in place of Romano cheese, I use Sauvignon Blanc white wine for the sharpness that cheese usually offers.

White Wine Infused Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc

4 slices Italian bread, slightly moistened in white wine, then torn into small pieces (I use gluten free white bread)

1 egg (do not beat)

1/2 tsp dried crushed basil

1/4 tsp dried crushed oregano

1 clove garlic, minced

a few shakes of salt and fresh ground pepper

1 cup canola oil

Preparation Method:

Mix all ingredients together.

Shape into small balls, each the size of a golf ball.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat.

Place meatballs in hot oil and saute on all sides until dark brown.

Remove from skillet and place into tomato sauce and allow to cook for 30 minutes.

Serve over pasta or in a meatball sandwich.

For the visual learners among us:

1 pound ground beef.

1 medium onion. Chopped as finely as possibly.

1 egg, not beaten.

4 slices Italian bread.

I used Udi's Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread. It worked wonderfully.

Slightly moisten the bread in the white wine. I poured the wine onto my cutting board and let the bread slices sit in it for a moment.

Then my six-year-old helper tore the bread slices into small pieces.

We added the 1/2 teaspoon of basil

1/4 teaspoon of oregano

1 clove minced garlic

And just like my Grandmother taught me, I then used my hands to combine the ingredients.

My six-year-old Sous-Chef helped roll the meatball mixture into small balls.

And we fried them up.

Being very careful to turn them in the hot oil without splashing everyone in the room!

When completely brown on all sides, remove them to the sauce waiting in a separate pan. Cover. Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for 30 minutes over medium-low heat. This will ensure they are cooked through.