Devilish Meatballs A recipe from Spyglass Rooftop Bar
When and where was the first meatball made? It’s one of the great mysteries of life — no one really knows. Early recipes for Roman isicia (meatballs) are attributed to ancient gastronome Apicius. We do know that the meatball is a hit in every culture, as a multitude of variations abound across the globe: You’ll enjoy a polpette in Italy, a kofta in India, a kufta in Armenia, a bakso in Indonesia and a köttbullar in Sweden.
At Spyglass Rooftop Bar, we enjoy kicking flavors up a notch, and our version — Devilish Meatballs — lives up to its name. They’re large, deep-fried meatballs stuffed with burrata cheese and served with a spicy cherry tomato sauce. This recipe makes approximately six large meatballs.
Buon appetite!
- 20m prep time
- 10m cook time
- 30m total time
- 14 ingredients
Ingredients
The meatballs
- 1 pound Angus beef
- 1 quart panko breadcrumbs
- 12 eggs
- 6 ounces burrata cheese
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 bunch fresh basil
- Micro basil for garnish
The sauce
- 5 cups candy cherry tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
-
THE SAUCE:
Add olive oil to a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper, salt and tomatoes; simmer. Lower heat and let it reduce, making sure to leave the cherry tomatoes intact.
-
THE MEATBALLS:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk 4 eggs. Add 2 cups of panko, roughly chopped basil, garlic salt and black pepper. Add the meat and mix well. Portion the mixture into 3-ounce balls and the burrata cheese into 1-ounce balls; set aside.
Whisk 8 eggs in a second mixing bowl and set aside.
Add the remaining panko to a third mixing bowl and set aside.
Flatten each meatball. Place a cheese ball in the center and seal the meat tightly around the cheese. Roll to coat each meatball five times: panko, egg, panko, egg, panko. Chill meatballs in the fridge for 1 hour.
Heat fryer to 320˚; fry each meatball 5 minutes, until golden.
Add the sauce to the center of the plate; place the meatball on top, add a dash of sauce on top of the meatball and garnish with micro basil.