Are you a fan of Food Network or The Cooking Channel? I must admit that I do love cooking shows, but am a bit particular about them. At our house we have a DVR which allows us to record programs very easily. I probably have about ten favorites that record, but my favorite among them is Tyler’s Ultimate. If you’ve never seen the show, chef Tyler Florence investigates a single food, visits two master practitioners who demonstrate their version of the food, and then Tyler develops his own version, often inspired by the master versions. I guess my own cooking philosophy matches the main idea behind the show—I tend to seek out recipes and try to perfect them rather than try all different kinds of recipes. I value the quality of the food experience more than variety.
While lounging and watching television, my husband decided to check out my cache of cooking shows and he watched a Tyler’s Ultimate episode dedicated to meatballs. He was totally taken by the meatballs (well, they are actually called Polpette Napoletane) made in one segment by Baroness Cecilia Bellelli. I looked at the recipe and figured that the meatballs would be very labor intensive and would likely make a huge mess. But, my husband’s favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs and he is a pretty terrific guy, so I thought we’d undertake this together on Sunday afternoon. The day got away from us, so I made them on Monday.
What makes the recipe unique is that the meatballs, which are a combination of ground beef and pork, are breaded and fried, and then baked in tomato sauce. I happen to like meatballs with a crisp exterior, but was intrigued by the breading and frying step.
Formed and breaded, ready to be shallow fried.
Getting beautiful and crisp:
Draining on towels:
Into the sauce:
Looking gorgeous:
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Hungry for meatballs? Try these Betty Crocker recipes.