As holiday preparations were in full swing last week I fired up the video camera to record the second episode of Digital Dads in the Kitchen where I demonstrated how I make my custom meatball mix.

I’ve talked a lot about how I like to grind my own meat to control the quality and consistency of what I put on the table for my family. After I got an email from a friend with a break down of a custom blend he had created for meatballs I realized I was being somewhat hypocritical considering that I was still purchasing pre-ground meat.

So, I went to work to develop my own and have been pleased with the results. I would like to have included veal chuck (or shoulder) in my formulation, but it has been difficult to find even at the local meat wholesaler that is open to retail customers.

In any event, I hope you enjoy the latest installment of Digital Dads in the Kitchen:

PJ’s Custom Meatball Mix

Software

1 ½ pounds beef chuck, cubed
1 ½ pounds beef sirloin, cubed
1 ½ pounds boneless beef short ribs, cubed
1 ½ pounds pork shoulder, cubed
2 cups Parmesan Reggiano
2 cups Pecorino Romano
1 cup flat leaf parsley
6 to 8 garlic cloves
1 large onion, roughly chopped
5 eggs
½ cup milk (could also use half and half)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Assemblage

• Run the cubed meat through your grinder, then return to the refrigerator
• Put the onion, garlic and parsley in a food processor and pulse until combined
• Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the milk, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and onion puree; stir to combine
• Pour the slurry mixture into a bowl with the meat and fold until mixture takes shape
• Fry up a small test meatball to test seasoning and adjust, if necessary
• Form into balls and bake (on convection if possible) at 400 degrees for 16 minutes
• Remove from oven and deposit into tomato sauce and bake at 350 for about an hour

Notes

• I used a medium plate in the video to give the meat more texture, but you can also use a fine plate on your grinder
• I don’t normally use breadcrumbs in my meatball mix, so the ratio may be off a bit. Just have some extra on hand to tighten up your mix, if necessary
• Normally I use a small batch of pate a choux dough instead of breadcrumbs. I learned this from a post I read on Michael Ruhlman’s blog last year and it really makes a huge difference in tenderness
• The final cooking time could take longer depending on how big you make your meatballs and the size pan you are using

Got an idea for a future Digital Dads in the Kitchen episode? Drop us a comment and let us know what you’d like to see. And thanks again for watching.

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