MAKES: 40 meatballs
TIME: 2 hours 30 minutes
DOSE: 2.5 mg THC
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- ⅔ cup fine bread crumbs 1½ pounds ground pork
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 cup (2 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅔ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- ⅔ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves 2 large eggs
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 gram leftover Mota Milk flower
- (or ½ gram ground decarboxylated flower)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes 2 cups water
Mint, the secret to my Sicilian grandma’s meatballs, grows like a weed and (along with actual weed) gives these meatballs the extra herbaceousness that makes them special. Blending in lots of fresh mint complements any strain of pot, and the ricotta- soaked bread crumbs give these meatballs their irresistibly tender bite. Make these meatballs a day ahead and store them in their own sauce—they only get better as they marinate.
1.) In a small bowl, use a spoon to gently stir together the ricotta and bread crumbs. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the bread crumbs to absorb the moisture from the ricotta.
2.) In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula (or your clean hands, as Grandma did) to mix the ricotta-soaked bread crumbs, pork, beef, Parmesan, mint, parsley, eggs, garlic, 1½ teaspoons of salt, pepper, and flower until thoroughly combined, but only just so. Divide the resulting mixture into 40 pieces (about 40 grams each), then form each piece into a meatball by slapping it back and forth between cupped palms a few times. My friend Frankie taught me this trick in Rome—it helps compact the balls and get the air bubbles out. Just 4 to 5 times should be plenty for the seams to disappear and the surface to look smooth—any more will overwork the ball. Roll the meat lightly between both palms to make it back into a round ball. Set on a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining pieces.
3.) Set a large heavy-bottomed sauté pan with a lid over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil to the pan and lower the heat to medium-low for another 2 minutes, swirling the oil around the pan throughout. Working in batches, brown the meatballs in the pot, using tongs to rotate each meatball so that all the sides cook evenly. Continue to rotate the meatballs every 2 to 3 minutes for a total of 15 minutes to form an even brown crust all over. Place the cooked meatballs on the sheet pan (don’t worry about doneness—they get cooked again) and cook the second half of the meatballs.
4.) While the meatballs cook, pour the tomatoes into a medium bowl, but save the cans. Use your hands to remove any hard tomato cores or stem nubbins and to squish the tomatoes to break them up. When the final batch of meatballs is cooked, add the rest back to the pan, add the tomatoes and remaining 1½ teaspoons of salt, and turn the heat down to low. Pour 1 cup of water into each of the tomato cans, slosh the water around, and add the liquid to the pan. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, give the meatballs a gentle stir, then cover, with the lid slightly cracked to let out steam. Cook for 1 hour on low heat, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. Enjoy hot off the stove or wait—the meatballs taste even better the next day. Store the meatballs in a labeled, covered glass container for up to 5 days, then reheat in a large saucepan over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. They also keep in the freezer for up to a month.
