Spag & Excellent Meatbawls

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 4 28-ounce cans San Marzano tomatoes, passed through a food mill
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• Kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano, plus more as needed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• Spaghetti or other pasta
• Big fat finishing oil

1. Coat a large saucepan with olive oil and add the pancetta; bring to medium heat and cook the pancetta for 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the onions and red pepper and season generously with salt; cook until the onions are soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with 2 cups of water, adding up to another cup as needed for consistency during the cooking process.
5. Season generously with salt and taste the sauce.
6. Tomatoes need a lot of salt to bring out their best flavor, so dont be shy here.
7. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
8. Youll probably need to reseason along the waythats just how this sauce rolls.
9. Use the sauce right away or let it cool and store in the refrigerator for a few days; it also freezes really well.
10. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions, and bring to medium-high heat.
11. Season the onions generously with salt and cook until soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes.
12. Add the garlic and red pepper and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes; turn off the heat and let everything cool.
13. In a large bowl combine the beef, veal, pork, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley, and bread crumbs and season with salt.
14. Using your hands, squish the mixture well to combine.
15. Add the onions and about 1/2 cup water.
16. Squish, squish, and squish until everything is well combinedthe mixture should be quite wet.
17. To check your seasoning, make a 1- to 2-inch tester patty out of the mix; bring a small saute pan to medium-high heat, add a bit of olive oil, and cook the patty until its done.
18. Taste it to make sure the seasoning is on the money (its a travesty to have an underseasoned ball, so dont skip this step!
19. ).
20. Preheat the oven to 350F.
21. Using damp hands, shape the meat into balls, whatever size you likesome people like big balls, some people like small balls.
22. I like them a little bigger than a golf ball.
23. Put the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through.
24. Then, coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat.
25. Brown the meatballs on all sides.
26. If using them right away, toss them in your big pot of sauce with spaghetti, or whatever pasta you like.
27. Drizzle with big fat fi nishing oil and sprinkle with Parm, toss vigorously, and serve.
28. If youre not using them right away, freeze them on a baking sheet and then toss them in a baggie.
29. If you have a pot of sauce, you can always pull these meatballs out of the freezer & toss them straight into the sauceno need to defrost them first!

extra virgin olive oil, pancetta, onions, red pepper, kosher salt, garlic, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, onions, kosher salt, garlic, red pepper, ground beef, ground veal, ground pork, eggs, fresh italian parsley, bread crumbs, pasta, oil

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spag-excellent-meatbawls-378168 (may not work)