Recipe of a Week: The Godfather of all Meatballs

..... To multiplex cinemas!!!



That's right... I'm over the multiplex. Overpriced, overly synthesized movie experiences. One is the same as the next, and none any better than the other. And, best of all, not only do the local guys show a ton of the new movies (but usually only the GOOD ones), they also hit you with classics which you may never have had the chance to see in a movie house. My decision to check out my local 'kino' this week led me to a very pleasant surprise... The Godfather at Kino Svetozor!

And now here's something I need to admit to you all, at the risk of besmirching my own good name: I had never seen The Godfather before last night! I know, I know, the shame! I actually thought I HAD seen it. I remembered bits here and there, and thought that it had just been a while, or at the least that I had never seen it in one sitting. None of these are excuses, but the reality is that I've probably just caught bits and pieces of the trilogy over the years, mixing and matching them in my head, and deprived myself of what was surely this righteous experience.

Well, that amazing night leads us to today's recipe of 'a' week: the famous, and deliciously simple, spaghetti and meatballs that Clemenza whips up while the fellas are takin' to the mattresses... That scene had my mouth watering at the simple eloquence with which this fat food lover describes how to make what is surely one of my favorites of all Italian dishes.

The scene mentions the general gist of what needs to be done, but doesn't give actual quantities. Thus, yours truly has added my own meatball recipe that I've used over the years, and a little guess work on quantities needed to make the sauce, based on other sauces I've whipped up along the way, with the addition of onions which I feel should be included.

Start with the meatballs, since you'll add those to the sauce.

You'll need:

4 tbs milk
1 slice of stale white bread
600 g of minced meat (half beef/half pork, or you can do all beef or all pork)
100 g of Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 small onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 egg
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Get 'dem balls ready:

Soak the bread (take the crust off) in the milk until soft, and squeeze it out. Break the bread up into as small of bits as you can.

Mix bread crumbs in a bowl with the meat, cheese grated in, the herbs, garlic, onion, egg, and nutmeg. Mix it all together with your hands, adding salt and fresh crushed pepper. (Be sure to wash your hands before, especially if you've been doin' some dirty work for the boss)

Roll the meat mixture into fatty balls. Bigger than golf balls, smaller than baseballs. You decide. I like bigger, juicier balls, something in between the two.





Fry the meatballs in a frying pan with oil. Don't be a wiseguy, use olive oil, 'eh? When the meatballs are brown and getting crispy, remove them to drain on paper towels. Finito... for now.





You'll need for the sauce:

2 gloves of garlic
1 medium diced white onion
1 large can of tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
MEATBALLS (from above)
Dry red wine
1/4 c. sugar

Now, basically do as Clemenza says, which is fairly straight forward:



"You start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some garlic. Then you throw in some tomatoes, tomato paste, you fry it; ya make sure it doesn't stick. You get it to a boil; you shove in all your sausage and your meatballs; And a little bit o' wine. An' a little bit o' sugar..."

I add the onions with the garlic, and I used only meatballs, where as dear old Clemenza seems to also be partial to tasty Italian sausage. Hey, why not right? In that case, just get some nice Italian sausage, grill it up in advance with the meatballs, and cut them into slices. One or the other, or BOTH!!

When the meat is in the sauce, let it cook for another 15 mins, just keeping the sauce moving so as not to stick, at a nice simmer.

When you're done, spoon the meaty nectar of gods over some nice al dente spaghetti, and garnish with fresh basil and, of course, some more freshly grated cheese.



That's that. Done well, this simple and delicious treat will become an easy favorite... a dish so tasty, it will be an offer nobody can refuse. Capiche?


Due to the severe awesomeness of this recipe, Danger has given it an official rating of 4 Ninja Star throwing oven mitts.