Prep Details

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• Meatballs

• Caramelized Onions with Cherry Peppers

• Grated Pecorino Romano

Method

Plate the Meatballs and finish with Caramelized Onions with Cherry Peppers and a generous amount of Pecorino Romano.

Recipe for Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon canola oil

• 1 onion, minced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 eggs

• 3 Tablespoons plain breadcrumbs

• ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons ground fennel seed

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef

• 1 ½ pounds ground pork

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• Kosher salt, to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

2. In a pan over medium heat, add the canola oil and cook the onion and garlic until translucent, about 7 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and refrigerate to chill completely.

3. In a large bowl, whisk to combine the eggs. Slowly stream in the breadcrumbs while whisking to prevent any clumps, then add the Parmigiano Reggiano, milk, oregano, fennel seed, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add the beef and pork and mix together using hands until incorporated, taking care not to over mix.

4. Form into 1-ounce balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with a rack. Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

5. Working in batches if necessary, sear in a large pan with olive oil until the outsides are crispy and deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Recipe for Caramelized Onions with Cherry Peppers

Ingredients

1. 1 pound red onions, thinly sliced

2. ¼ cup canola oil

3. ¼ cup water, if necessary

4. ½ cup cherry peppers, drained and chopped

5. Kosher salt, to taste

Method

In a large pan over medium high heat, add the canola oil and onions. Stirring occasionally, cook until deeply caramelized, about 1 hour. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed to prevent scorching. Let the caramelized onions cool, then fold in the cherry peppers. Season with salt, to taste.