There was a spread in a recent Food & Wine Magazine issue with a recipe for these oven-browned, JUMBO beef meatballs. Deeply browned oversize meatballs (see note below for size reduction) “settle into a glossy pool of tomato sauce for a dish that’s simple and quick enough for the family and elegant enough for a small gathering.”
Unexpected yet familiar, the seasonings are ground coriander and nutmeg which offer cozy warmth, while a hit of lemon zest brightens the beef. A heady amount of garlic lends extra pizzaz and anchors the meat mixture with savory notes.
The meatballs’ texture stays light because they’re bound together with only enough panko to hold them together — so use a light hand when mixing and shaping to further ensure their texture stays tender. And instead of frying, they bake and then broil to develop a gorgeous crust with far less fuss and mess.
It pairs perfectly with simple sides — crusty bread for dipping into the sauce or orzo to soak up all its goodness. A simple green salad with nuts and cheese offers the perfect complement. The original recipe indicated it served 6, and that would be only 1 meatball per person. So with a serving size of of one-and–half to two meatballs per eater, this more realistically feeds 3 to 4 people.
NOTE: These meatballs are wonderfully supersized, but if you’d rather make smaller ones, they’ll still be just as delicious. For each meatball, use about two tablespoons of the meat mixture, and roll gently to shape. Arrange the meatballs on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet, and bake at 425°F until just browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Broil for just a couple of minutes until deep golden brown before simmering in the sauce until a thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball registers 165°F.
*Because it was the dead of Winter when we made this dish, local homegrown Roma tomatoes were not available. Instead of using the shipped-in grocery store offerings, we suggest using canned tomatoes for more robust color and flavor.
Portuguese-Style Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 lbs. 85% lean ground beef
- 3/4 cup panko
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (about 3 large garlic cloves), divided
- 2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. sweet paprika
- 3/4 cup (6 oz.) dry white wine
- 1 lb. plum tomatoes*, finely chopped, locally grown or canned
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.
- Whisk eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Add beef, panko, coriander, lemon zest, black pepper, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; gently mix using your hands, taking care to avoid overmixing. Form mixture into 6 (5-ounce) balls (about 2/3 cup each); space evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. (Meatballs will not be fully cooked through.)
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, paprika, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is deep red, about 2 minutes.
- Add wine, and bring to a simmer over medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth; return mixture to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes soften, about 15 minutes. (This step took an additional 12 minutes using the hothouse plum tomatoes.)
- Add browned meatballs to skillet, and gently stir to coat. Cover and simmer until flavors meld and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meatballs registers 160°F, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; garnish with cilantro just before serving.
Adapted from a recipe by Ann Taylor Pittman for Food & Wine
Accounting for Taste 