Molly Gets Cooking Tips from a Michelin-Recognized Pro!
Want to learn how to think, shop and cook like a chef? We're spending the morning in the kitchen with one of Sacramento's most celebrated chefs, Brad Cecchi, who's behind the Michelin-recognized Canon in East Sacramento, Franquette in West Sacramento and Cantina Pedregal in Folsom.
Recipe: Brad's meatballs
Yield: 30 meatballs
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
5 lbs ground beef
3 lbs spicy Italian sausage
4c breadcrumbs
1c ricotta, drained
2c parm, microplaned
1 bunch parsley, chopped
2 tsp black pepper
4 eggs, whole
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp red chile flake
1/2c olive oil, not extra virgin
Tomato sauce:
2 qts high-quality canned chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp Calabrian chiles, chopped
1c yellow onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, pasted
1 tsp kosher salt
1 bunch oregano, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
Method:
For meatballs: combine breadcrumbs with ricotta and parmesan and let sit for 5 minutes to hydrate. Combine meats, spices and eggs and mix well. Add breadcrumb mixture and mix well with gloved hands. Portion meatballs to 4-5 (about 2"in diameter) ounces per meatball, pack very tightly and roll between palms, to ensure a smooth outside surface. In a large pan heat olive oil over medium heat and brown meatballs on all sides, remove meatballs and set aside. Keeping oil to cook sauce, add onions and garlic and cook until translucent and beginning to brown. Add chopped chiles, cook until aromatic, add pepper salt and oregano, cook 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Once simmering add meatballs back to sauce. Cover and cook on stove on very low heat for 2 hours.