Chapter 1 THE BALLS "MEATBALLS ARE THE ULTIMATE CURE ALL FOR ANYTHING THAT AILS YOU- HANGOVER, BREAKUP, LACK OF SLEEP, EVEN A CRYING BABY." CLASSIC BEEF MEATBALLS Here they are-the top sellers at The Shop and sure to be a big hit at home. Most traditional meatball recipes call for Parmesan or pecorino cheese. While we''re big fans of these stronger cheeses, we prefer ricotta. It''s our secret weapon. The mild and creamy consistency of this fresh cheese gives the meatballs a unique, light texture. Beef has a subtle flavor, and the ricotta is a great way to add fat and moisture to the recipe without the overpowering flavor of a sharper cheese. These are quick to prep, and baking rather than frying makes this a fast comfort food even during the busiest of weeks.

Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL 2 POUNDS 80% LEAN GROUND BEEF 1 CUP RICOTTA CHEESE 2 LARGE EGGS 1/2 CUP BREAD CRUMBS 1/4 CUP CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY 1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH OREGANO OR 1 TEASPOON DRIED 2 TEASPOONS SALT 1/4 TEASPOON CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES 1/2 TEASPOON GROUND FENNEL 4 CUPS CLASSIC TOMATO SAUCE (PAGE 54) . Preheat the oven to 450 F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside. Combine the ground beef, ricotta, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.

Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165 F. While the meatballs are roasting, heat the tomato sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often. When the meatballs are firm and fully cooked, remove them from the oven and drain the excess grease from the pan. Pour the tomato sauce over them. Return the meatballs to the oven and continue roasting for another 15 minutes. ROASTED VS. FRIED VS.

BRAISED IS THERE A BEST WAY TO COOK A MEATBALL? There can be a bit of a debate when it comes to the best way to cook a meatball. Some people fry them in a skillet, some braise them in sauce, and some roast them in the oven. To us, there''s really no contest, because we actually don''t think there''s a "best" way to cook a meatball. At the Shop we like to roast them, simply because this is the fastest, easiest, most consistent way to cook a high volume of balls with great results. The recipes in this book usually call for roasting, but we encourage you to try sautéing (yields nice results, but requires more time and patience than we tend to have), frying (no deep fryer in the Shop), and of course braising. You''ll notice the outside texture of the ball changes a bit depending on the method, and you can play around and decide what you like-a bit of a golden crust when sautéed or fried, or a bit more meltingly tender when braised. When roasting meatballs, keep in mind that it is especially important to pack the balls tightly in the baking dish if you are planning to braise them afterward. This will help ensure that they are well formed.

Braising the balls in hot liquid over time can cause them to fall apart, and the last thing you want is a big pot of broken balls. Also remember that unless your braising liquid is really well seasoned, the cooking process will take some of the salt out of the balls, so make sure to keep all that good flavor in and compensate by upping the salt in the recipe a bit. BOLOGNESE BALLS Both classic and inventive, these balls were one of the first meatball "specials" we served at the Shop and they remain incredibly popular. While traditional Bologna-style meatballs call for braising in tomatoes and heavy cream, our version uses ground beef, with the tomatoes and cream added to the actual meatball. This makes for one mean spaghetti and meatballs. Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL 1 3/4 POUNDS 80% LEAN GROUND BEEF 1/2 POUND MORTADELLA, CUT INTO 1/4-INCH CUBES 2 LARGE EGGS 1 CARROT, FINELY DICED 1 CELERY STALK, FINELY DICED 1 ONION, FINELY DICED 1/4 CUP CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY 1/4 CUP HEAVY CREAM 1/4 CUP CRUSHED CANNED TOMATOES 1 CUP BREAD CRUMBS 1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH OREGANO OR 1 TEASPOON DRIED 2 TEASPOONS SALT 1 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER . Preheat the oven to 450 F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface.

Set aside. Combine the ground beef, mortadella, eggs, carrots, celery, onions, parsley, cream, tomatoes, bread crumbs, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-sized meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165 F. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

QUICK TIP People have lots of tricks for rolling meatballs, but we''ve found that one of the best shortcuts to help cut down on time is to use a 1/4-cup (2-ounce) ice-cream scoop. Simply pull a rounded scoop from the bowl of thoroughly mixed meatball mixture and drop it into the prepared baking dish, lining ''em up, one by one, as directed. JAMBALAYA BALLS Not so big, not so easy, but delicious nonetheless! These mini balls deliver the spirit and soul of one of the greatest food cities in the world-New Orleans. Down there, they make jambalaya a hundred different ways, and after a trip to Jazz Fest, we decided to try our hands at a NOLA-inspired ball. The results of our improv definitely sing-with all the essential Creole notes that surround the pork, chicken, sausage, and shrimp. While these balls are great solo, they also pair well with Classic Tomato Sauce (page 54). Makes about forty 3/4-inch meatballs 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL 1 POUND GROUND PORK 1 POUND GROUND CHICKEN, PREFERABLY THIGH MEAT 1/2 POUND ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE, FINELY DICED 1/2 POUND SHRIMP, SHELLED, DEVEINED, AND FINELY DICED 3 CUPS COOKED LONG-GRAIN WHITE RICE 1 SMALL RED ONION, FINELY DICED 1 RED BELL PEPPER, HALVED, SEEDED, AND FINELY DICED 2 LARGE EGGS 1/2 CUP BREAD CRUMBS 2 TABLESPOONS TOMATO PASTE 1 GARLIC CLOVE, MINCED 1 TABLESPOON SWEET PAPRIKA 1 TEASPOON CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES PINCH OF CAYENNE PEPPER 1 TEASPOON SALT . Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Drizzle the olive oil into a 12 x 17-inch rimmed baking sheet and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside. Combine the ground pork, ground chicken, sausage, shrimp, rice, onions, bell peppers, eggs, bread crumbs, tomato paste, garlic, paprika, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Roll the mixture into round, 3/4-inch meatballs, making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another. Roast for 14 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165 F.

Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.