I’m always a little hesitant toward meatballs. I never order them in restaurants. The reason is that I want to know what’s inside and make sure everything is prime, clean and absolutely fresh.

There are endless ways to make meatballs and over the years I’ve experimented many. I’ll post other in the future. This is one of my favorite recipes. I like the meatiness, the no-egg texture and the kick of the nutmeg. You can also substitute the ground beef with veal, or a mix of the two. Pair them with some oven charred veggies (recipes to come) and keep some bread to hand for the creamy sauce. I think you know me at this point, the mantra is always the same. Few ingredients, wisely prepped. I think I don’t even have to mention that meat is always organic, grass fed, blah bah blah, right? So, let’s get started. This if for 2-3 people, but sometimes you just can’t stop eating them.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg (1 lbs) Ground beef (80-20%)
• 3 spoonfuls Parmigiano Reggiano
• 3 spoonfuls Plain breadcrumbs (+ 3 spoonfuls to bread the meatballs)
• 3 spoonfuls Finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons Toasted sweet pepper powder
• Black pepper
• 1 Garlic clove (mashed)

• 2 Garlic cloves (whole)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 1/2 glass of Italian dry white wine (not fruity!)

Place the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and with your hands make sure they are well mixed. Keep mixing and mashing until the parsley is evenly distributed in the meat, and you no longer see traces of breadcrumbs and cheese.

At this point, take little pieces of the mix and form small spheres (1 1/2 inch or 3-4cm), using the two palms of your hands to gently roll them into shape. When you are done, pass them in a bowl with some more breadcrumbs, to evenly dust them.

Place a pan large enough to hold all the meatballs on the fire to a medium heat. Add the oil and 2 pealed garlic cloves. As they start to fry and darken, gently add the meatballs to the pan. Cover with a lid and make sure to evenly sear them, by keeping moving the pan over the flame.

Once the meatballs are evenly darkened, add a pinch of salt, turn the flame high and add the white wine. Remove the lid, keep moving the pan and let reduce the wine. The breadcrumbs of the coating will create nice creamy sauce for the meatballs, so don’t let it completely evaporate. At this point they should be ready. Place them in a plate and eat them while still warm.