Weekly Recipe: Meatballs by Steve Martorano

There's nothing more comforting than taking a bite of food cooked from a beloved family recipe—especially the love that's in Italian-style cooking based on the work of generations.

Meatballs are a classic that can be transformed to hit the mark for every taste bud, and Steve Martorano has a seriously impressive reputation. Known as “meatball guy” around his hometown and the country, Martorano is famous for his Italian-American comfort-style cooking, and for meatballs that will please anyone with just one bite.

"People call me the meatball mogul," he says. "At one point, I was kind of ashamed of that because I felt we did a lot of things really well, not just meatballs. I'd run into people on the street, and if they recognized me, they'd say, "You're that meatball guy." Over the years, It's something that I've embraced, and today I actually love it. I realized that you shouldn't run from who you are."

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He's appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and the Today show numerous times, and he sells his famous meatballs at restaurants in Atlantic City, N.J.; Pittsburgh, PA.; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Now you can celebrate the love of meatballs with Martorano’s family-tested recipe that comes from the heart and uese high-quality ingredients.

“Most of what I learned, I got from my mother, Gram and other members of my family," Martorano says. "Basically, I cook what they cooked. The only difference is that today I use the best ingredients I can find … Great meals just become better with top-notch ingredients."

The recipe makes 18 meatballs and is perfect for your next family dinner. Bring classic Italian comfort food right to your kitchen!

Martorano Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 lb stale hoagie rolls
• ½ lb ground beef
• ½ lb ground veal
• ½ lb ground pork
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 extra-large egg
• ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• ½ cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 3 cups vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Finely chop the parsley, allow to dry for 30 minutes in the open air, and set it aside.
2. Slice your bread into ½-inch pieces, add water and mash with your hands until it’s smooth and the water is incorporated for 6 or 7 minutes. The bread should have a firm but doughy texture.
3. Add your beef, veal, pork, salt, pepper and granulated garlic to the bread, knead well until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
4. Add the egg, the Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley, kneading again until all ingredients are well combined. Finally, add your crumbs and knead well again.
5. Divide and weigh the mixture into balls of 5½ ounces, then roll them, using a circular motion between both hands, until your balls are round and firm. You will get roughly 18 meatballs.
6. In a 14-inch frying pan, heat the vegetable oil to 325 degrees F. Once the oil is hot, gently place the meatballs in the oil and cook in batches. The oil should have a slow bubble to it. When the meatballs are light brown in color, flip them over with a pair of tongs and cook until brown on the other side. The internal temperature of meatballs should be 150 degrees F.
7. Serve with your favorite pasta or sauce, and enjoy!

Visit Cafe Martorano in Ft. Lauderdale to taste the meatball guy's home-cooked greatness for yourself, and online to learn more.