Giant Meatballs in White Wine Broth

Aren't meatballs the best?  As you can tell by my Italian style, Asian style, & Swedish style meatballs on the blog, we just can't get enough of them!  That is why I am so excited to share this recipe with you.  These are unlike any other meatballs you have ever tried.  

Credit for this recipe is entirely due to Mandy over at Lady & Pups, which is perhaps the most innovative and beautiful food blog out there.  Gahhhh, I just get lost in her site!  Most of her recipes are not for the faint of heart, as she embraces highly skilled cooking techniques to deliver recipes I would never dream of on my own.  Go over to her site and I dare you not to spend at least an hour perusing her posts.  

These meatballs have 4 types of meat in them! Beef, pork, chicken & prosciutto.  If you are a vegetarian, you should probably click that tiny little X at the top right of your screen now!  After you mix all the goodness together for the balls, you then braise the baseball size meatballs in a deeply flavored broth.  Holy cannoli these were so good!

Giant Meatballs in White Wine Broth

Recipe adapted almost exactly from Lady & Pups

For the balls

1 pound ground beef (high fat content)

1 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground chicken

1/2 cup finely chopped prosciutto or pancetta 

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano cheese

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

1/2 onion, grated

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch 

1/4 c + 1 tablespoon milk

For the braise

1 tablspoon butter

1 onion,  roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 carrot, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, smashed

4 sprigs thyme

4 bay leaves

1 sprig rosemary

1 bottle dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

1 Parmigiano cheese rind

For the finish

2 leeks, washed and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper to taste

Crispy onions (these are my favorite)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs together by hand and form into large meatballs, about the size of baseballs.  This should make 8 meatballs, or 10 smaller sized ones.   Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until browned. 

In a large pot or dutch oven, melt butter and add onion, celery, carrot, garlic and saute over medium high heat until softened.  Add thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, white wine, stock, and cheese rind. Add meatballs and any juices from the pan.  

Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and cover pot.  Place in oven and cook for about 2 hours.  Remove the meatballs from the both and place on a plate while you strain the vegetables out of the stock.  Return meatballs to strained stock.  

To finish, braise some leeks in some butter with salt & pepper until soft.  To serve, place a meatball in a bowl, ladle some broth over the top and garnish with leeks, crispy onions and a crusty baguette! 

Zucchini Fritters

Howdy ho!  Here's what's been going on with me: 

1.)  It was my birthday this past weekend!  My sweet hubby bought me a new (old) record player.  I've been collecting records for a a few years , but only had one of those cheapo Crosely record players.  DO NOT ever use those.  They are shit and ruin your records + the sound is awful. 

We went to Bananas Music here in St. Pete.  Did you know that they have one of the largest record collections in the WORLD with over 3 million records?!?!  They also have a warehouse with a ton of equipment.  I was able to pick out a perfectly functional vintage turntable, amp, & speakers and they are glorious!  Music never sounded so good. 

2.)  I joined a spinning studio and love it.  Central Cycling is my new place. For me, I have to pay for my exercise because I feel much more accountable if I do so.  This place it great.  Totally dark, except for some rad black lights and motivational sayings in neon paint on the walls.  When I look up, all that I see is phrases like "SWEAT IS FAT DYING" or "DO IT FOR THE HOLY SHIT, YOU GOT HOT" or "YOU DON'T GET THE ASS YOU WANT BY SITTING ON IT", and it motivates the hell outta me! 

3.) We got our flights to Merida, Mexico for November!  My baby brother is getting married to the most lovely lady from Merida.  They have been together for a while and I've heard so many great things about this city.  So excited to finally visit. On the invite, it says the reception goes from 7:00pm until 6:00am! I guess they even serve breakfast at Mexican weddings.  My 9:30pm bedtime ass better figure out how to make it through the night :) 

 Now onto this recipe.  Can you believe that I made these about 5 months ago and am now just getting around to writing it?  Sheesh, it is a shame because they are so good.  My timing is probably better because summer gardens are in full swing and your garden should be runneth over with some zucchini soon.      

They are basically crispy, GBD (golden brown delicious) pancakes... with some zucchini in them.  That makes them totally healthy :)  The recipe is super easy, very forgiving and you can whip these up on a whim very quickly.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!   

  

Zucchini Fritters
2 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 onion, grated
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced

flavor-less oil for frying (vegetable, canola, avocado, grape seed, etc.)
Sour cream mixed with lemon zest, salt & pepper for garnish

Grate the zucchini and onion.  Place in a kitchen towel and squeeze until you have extracted most of the water.  In a large bowl, add zucchini, onion, and the remainder of the ingredients.  Mix until a thick batter forms.

In a heavy skillet, fill up with about a 1/2 an inch with oil.  Heat over medium high heat (about 350-375) and drop large spoonfuls into hot oil.  Cook for about 2 minutes until golden brown and then flip.  Remove when the opposite side is brown and cool on a paper towel lined cookie sheet.

Season with salt & pepper, serve with seasoned sour cream and enjoy this indulgent vegetable fritter!