Props to Tyler Florence's old FOOD 911 series where I saw him do this recipe. I make a huge batch of the meatball mixture and freeze about half of it for an amazing meatloaf (I doubled the portions seen here)
Mis en place:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork (for the fat and flavor)
1 lb ground veal
4 cups white bread cut into tiny cubes (or run thru the food processor)
1 cup milk
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
2 cups white mushrooms, small dice
2 tbls garlic, minced
1 tsp caraway seeds
3 eggs
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 stick butter
3 oz evo
1 cup all purpose flour
48 oz chicken stock
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
1 cup chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
1lb fettucini
3 Tbls EVO
1/3 stick butter
In a very large bowl combine the meats. Place the cubed bread in another bowl and cover with the milk, stir and let sit for about 5 minutes. Squeeze some of the milk of out the bread and add the bread to the meat mixture. In 4 Tbls EVO saute the onions and mushrooms about 4 minutes until clear - add the chopped garlic and caraway seeds and saute another four minutes. Remove from heat and let cool some. Now add that to the meat, add in the eggs, fresh dill and parsley and mix it with YOUR HANDS until it is all very well combined. Get a large flat skillet going on high heat. Make up about a dozen of the meatballs, I prefer making them the size of golf balls, add 3 Tbls evo to the hot skillet and saute up the meatballs in small batches, never crowd the pan, saute on one side until brown, about 3-4 minutes, with a large spoon flip them and brown the other side. While these are sauteeing make up more of the meat mixture into meatballs. Remove first batch to a large plate and repeat the saute process for the others until done. Drain all drippings from the saute pan into a large dutch oven. Add the 1/2 stick butter and 3oz EVO to that dutch oven, put on high heat and when oil and butter are bubbling add the flour and stir about 4-5 minutes until you have a nice stiff rough that has taken on a straw color. Now slowly whisk in the chicken stock, some at first, then the rest all the while stirring so you don't get lumps. Let simmer about 5 minutes, whisk in the sour cream until well combined and then the strawberry preserves. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer about 1/2 hour. The sauce will thicken nicely. Add the parsley to the sauce.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add the fettucini and cook until el dente, about 8 minutes. If your sauce has gotten a little too thick thin it with some of the starchy pasta water (just like you would if making spaghetti). Drain pasta, season with salt and pepper while hot and then drizzle on a little EVO and a few pats of butter so it doesn't become a big sticky mess. Mound a bit of the pasta attractively in a wide bowl and then ladle some of the sauce and meatballs over it.
Mis en place:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork (for the fat and flavor)
1 lb ground veal
4 cups white bread cut into tiny cubes (or run thru the food processor)
1 cup milk
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
2 cups white mushrooms, small dice
2 tbls garlic, minced
1 tsp caraway seeds
3 eggs
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 stick butter
3 oz evo
1 cup all purpose flour
48 oz chicken stock
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
1 cup chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
1lb fettucini
3 Tbls EVO
1/3 stick butter
In a very large bowl combine the meats. Place the cubed bread in another bowl and cover with the milk, stir and let sit for about 5 minutes. Squeeze some of the milk of out the bread and add the bread to the meat mixture. In 4 Tbls EVO saute the onions and mushrooms about 4 minutes until clear - add the chopped garlic and caraway seeds and saute another four minutes. Remove from heat and let cool some. Now add that to the meat, add in the eggs, fresh dill and parsley and mix it with YOUR HANDS until it is all very well combined. Get a large flat skillet going on high heat. Make up about a dozen of the meatballs, I prefer making them the size of golf balls, add 3 Tbls evo to the hot skillet and saute up the meatballs in small batches, never crowd the pan, saute on one side until brown, about 3-4 minutes, with a large spoon flip them and brown the other side. While these are sauteeing make up more of the meat mixture into meatballs. Remove first batch to a large plate and repeat the saute process for the others until done. Drain all drippings from the saute pan into a large dutch oven. Add the 1/2 stick butter and 3oz EVO to that dutch oven, put on high heat and when oil and butter are bubbling add the flour and stir about 4-5 minutes until you have a nice stiff rough that has taken on a straw color. Now slowly whisk in the chicken stock, some at first, then the rest all the while stirring so you don't get lumps. Let simmer about 5 minutes, whisk in the sour cream until well combined and then the strawberry preserves. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer about 1/2 hour. The sauce will thicken nicely. Add the parsley to the sauce.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add the fettucini and cook until el dente, about 8 minutes. If your sauce has gotten a little too thick thin it with some of the starchy pasta water (just like you would if making spaghetti). Drain pasta, season with salt and pepper while hot and then drizzle on a little EVO and a few pats of butter so it doesn't become a big sticky mess. Mound a bit of the pasta attractively in a wide bowl and then ladle some of the sauce and meatballs over it.
