Best Frankies Meatballs From The Famous Raos Restaurant In Nyc Recipes

ANNA AND FRANKIE'S MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Bread Crumbs: Unless you make your own bread crumbs, you won't be following Rao's kitchen tradition.
• Use the finest quality Italian bread you can find.
• Allow it to dry for at least two days.
• Then grate, using a handheld grater or a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
• Shake and push the bread crumbs through a medium strainer to get an even texture.
• Meatballs: Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl.
• Add eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
• Using your hands, blend ingredients together.
• Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture.
• Slowly add water, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture is quite moist.
• Shape the mixture into balls (approximately 2 1/2 to 3-inches in diameter.).
• Heat oil in a large saute pan.
• When oil is very hot but not smoking, fry meatballs in batches.
• When bottom 1/2 of meatball is very brown and slightly crisp, turn and cook top 1/2.
• Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
• Lower cooked meatballs into simmering Marinara Sauce and cook for 15 minutes.
• Serve over pasta or on their own.

ANNA AND FRANKIE'S MEATBALLS

Steps:

• BREAD CRUMBS: Unless you make your own bread crumbs, you won't be following Rao's kitchen tradition. Use the finest quality Italian bread you can find. Allow it to dry for at least two days. Then grate, using a handheld grater or a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Shake and push the bread crumbs through a medium strainer to get an even texture.
• MEATBALLS: Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, blend ingredients together. Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add water, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture is quite moist. Shape the mixture into balls (approximately 2 1/2 to 3-inches in diameter).
• Heat oil in a large saute pan. When oil is very hot but not smoking, fry meatballs in batches. When bottom 1/2 of meatball is very brown and slightly crisp turn and cook top 1/2. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
• Lower cooked meatballs into simmering Marinara Sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta or on their own.

RAO'S MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the salt pork. Sauté until fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard salt pork. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté just until softened. Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Add the basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute more.
• Make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, veal and pork. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley and minced garlic, then salt and pepper as desired. Add the bread crumbs and mix well. Slowly add up to 2 cups water, 1/2 cup at a time, until the mixture is moist; all the water may not be needed. Shape into 1 1/2 -inch meatballs.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and sauté until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then discard the garlic. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, add meatballs and fry until undersides are brown and slightly crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides, about 5 minutes more. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels to drain, then add to the marinara sauce. Mix gently and serve.

RAO'S FAMOUS MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, place the meat and rub the minced garlic into it.
• Press the meat in the bowl.
• Add in this order: Salt, pepper, parsley, 2 eggs and water. Then sprinkle the cheese over the top as if you are going to cover the water. Finally, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cheese.
• Mix from the outside of the bowl to the middle, folding it inches Do not overmix!
• After the ingredients are mixed, start to roll the meatballs in your hands, about 6 ounces per meatball.
• After your meatballs are rolled, take a 10 inch frying pan and add your oil and the reserved whole clove of garlic and heat. When the clove starts to brown, the oil is ready.
• Fry the meatballs, cooking and flipping until golden brown, about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes per side.
• Remove the meatballs after frying and put on a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
• (If you want you can bake the meatballs on a lightly greased tray at 350 degrees-the taste is totally different than frying).
• Add the meatballs to your tomato sauce to finish cooking.
• Let simmer for at least 45-60 minutes.
• Serve with the sauce.

FRANKIE'S MEATBALLS (PASTA SAUCE)

Steps:

• Mix the eggs and meat thoroughly to evenly distribute. Add the Pecorino Romano cheese, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Mix thoroughly together by hand in order to combine all the ingredients.
• Then, start making your balls. Remember to compress the ball with your hands so they are very compact and will not crack. This is important because a ball with any cracks, or not compact enough, may break during the shallow frying stage.
• Now, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the meatballs over medium heat until golden brown. If the meatballs stick to the bottom of the pan, you may use a non-stick frying pan or you can fry the meatballs two at a time and keep rolling then in the hot oil.
• Place the meatballs on a new clean plate or a tray.
• Do not discard the olive oil but filter it into a small bowl in order to remove the residue created when frying the meatballs. Return filtered oil to the pan, heat, and add the chopped onion and garlic. Sweat off for about 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato puree and cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add 150 ml (5 fl oz or 5/8 cup) of hot water to the frying pan and cook for one minute, stirring. The gravy is done, so remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• In a large saucepan (a casserole would do the job), add the chopped tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Then, add the gravy (tomato puree mixture) from the frying pan. Add the reserved browned meatballs. Cover with hot water. In my case, I used a very large saucepan so to cover the meatballs, I needed 2 ½ cups of water. A slightly smaller saucepan would probably require less water, I would say 1 2/3 cups.
• Add the chopped parsley, a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly, but carefully, with a wooden spoon, so as to not break the meatballs. Now, cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
• Cover (leaving one side of the lid slightly open) and simmer for about 2 ½ hours, stirring every 20 minutes to prevent sticking on bottom of the pan. Also, when doing that, turn the meatballs so the part that was face up will get the next 20 minutes cooking facing the bottom and keep going like that until the end. After 1 ½ hours simmering, check for seasoning; usually you need to add some salt.
• Serve the meatballs over al dente pasta and use the red sauce from the pan to coat the pasta. Finally, sprinkle with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (alternatively Parmesan cheese).

FRANKIES SPUNTINO RESTAURANT NEW YORK - ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the bread in a large bowl, cover with water and let soak until saturated, about 1 minute. Pour off the remaining water, wring out the bread, and tear it into tiny pieces (place back into bowl).
• To the bread, add all of the ingredients, except for the dried breadcrumbs (which you will add in last, using more or less as necessary).
• Using your hands, combine all the ingredients together. Form the mixture into golf ball size meatballs.
• Lay out your meatballs on 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake for 25 minutes in a 325F oven.
• At this point, you can cool the meatballs and hold them in the refrigerator for as long as a couple of days or freeze them for the future.
• Serve 3 meatballs per person with a healthy helping of your favorite red tomato sauce (homemade or store bought). Top each portion with a fluffy mountain of grated cheese. Buon appetito!

RAO'S MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine beef, veal and pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic and salt & pepper to taste. Using your hands, blend ingredients together. Blend breadcrumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add water, 1 cup at a time, at a time until the mixture is quite moist.
• Shape meat mixture into 6 oz. balls.
• In a large sauté pan, add oil and heat over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Fry meatballs in batches. When bottom of meatball is very brown and slightly crisp, turn and cook top half. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain.
• Once meatballs have drained any excess oil, place meatballs into simmering Rao's Homemade® Marinara Sauce and cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are hot through and through.
• If serving a meatball sub, while meatballs are cooking in the Rao's Homemade® Marinara Sauce, horizontally slice Italian bread and remove inner bread by hand and lightly toast, add 3 meatballs, placing a dollop of sauce over each meatball and serve.