Little Owl Meatballs

prep time:: 15 minutes
cook time:: 1 hour and 15 minutes - and worth every second

Makes 36 meatballs - now that’s a party!

Louise and I first had these meatballs made by Joey Campanaro at Little Owl in the West Village and they’re amazing. The fennel flavor is what really stands out and what I have been trying to recreate ever since.

ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground veal
3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus 1/4 cup for garnish
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 cups cold water
3 large eggs
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Vegetable oil for frying meatballs (approximately 3 cups)
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh garlic, chopped
1 bunch fresh basil
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 industrial-size No. 10 can (or 4 28-oz. cans) of whole peeled tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

directions

1
1. Mix the ground meat with the cheese, the panko, the cold water, the eggs, 3/4 of the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
2
2. Form the mixture into 36 golf-ball-size meatballs.
3
3. In a large shallow sauce pot or cast-iron pan, heat the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook until brown all over.
4
4. With a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs and set aside on a plate. Discard the vegetable oil but leave the browned bits in the pan.
5
5. In the same pan, heat the olive oil, then add the onion, garlic, basil, and fennel seed. Cook for 5–8 minutes until slightly brown. Add the tomatoes and half a No. 10 can of water. Cook the sauce for 30 minutes, pass sauce through a food mill, and return to pan.
6
6. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for an additional 30 minutes.