Here’s my tip for meatballs – and, yes, it is my tip because I have been doing this for years even if others, like America’s Test Kitchen, only figured it out recently: Don’t fry them before they go into the sauce. Roast them in a hot (400-425 deg. F.) convection oven on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. They will brown and firm up this way and you won’t have a big mess in your kitchen. My meatball recipe is simple in that you combine, but do not overwork, good ground meat that is no leaner than 90%, a little bread that has been softened in water, an egg or two, a bit of grated parmesan, a little Best Foods/Hellmann’s mayonnaise, a smidgen each of Dijon mustard and Worcestershire, and salt and pepper. Form big meatballs and brown in oven as described above. Just keep an eye on them and take them out when they have browned to your liking. Allow to cool a bit and carefully transfer to hot sauce and simmer for an hour. Your sauce need be nothing more than a #10 can of crushed tomatoes (buy at Costco) with whatever you have on hand to liven it up, but certainly some Italian spice mix, fresh garlic, a little olive oil, a dash of red wine and a bit of sugar to cut the acidity. Simmer all this together for 45 minutes before you add the meatballs.
