Nicolina DiSpirito was the unsung hero of the reality show, "The Restaurant."
Her son, Rocco DiSpirito, was the star of the show, but Mama, the restaurant's chef de cuisine, was the rock.
Seasoned Stock Mix:
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 large sweet onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
Meatballs:
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 to 3 pinches chili flakes
2 to 3 pinches salt
To make the stock: Put all the chicken stock, onion, garlic and
parsley in a blender or food processor and puree.
To make the meatballs: Combine stock mix and remaining ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl, and blend with hands just until all of the ingredients are blended together.
Coat hands with a bit of olive oil and form meat mixture into about 2-ounce balls.
Pour about 1/2 inch olive oil into a large, straight-sided pan, and heat over medium heat.
Add the meatballs and brown, turning once.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs from the oil and put them in a pot of marinara sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and tender.
Makes about 20 meatballs.
If you can't get veal (and I don't bother) use half beef and half pork.
Trust me, these are the real thing! The key thing is not to overmix.
