Sunday Meatballs

Sunday Meatballs: the only meatball recipe you’ll ever need. Juicy, flavorful, and perfect for family dinner.

I was a vegetarian for 7 years. I remember the specific day. I had come home from middle school and was on the interwebs (dial-up-style #backintheday). Someone had posted a graphic animal cruelty video along with a rant about eating meat, and something in me turned. Immediately, I decided to go veg.

In the years following, I was happy being vegetarian. I ate lots of tofu and legumes. Salad was my best friend. Lentils were life.

But about halfway through college, something changed. I began to crave burgers. Which was weird, because in my previous meat-eating days I had never been a burger person. But that melty cheese, that fat brioche bun, and, of course, that hamburger patty called out to me. 

This craving went on for a good part of a year, and I tried to resist it.

Until one day when I was at a bar with my girlfriend and she ordered an 8 ounce angus beef burger. I ordered a salad.

I must’ve been lustfully eyeing that burger, because halfway through the meal she offered me a bite. “You’ve been wanting a burger for forever,” she said. “Have some.”

So I did. I leaned over my rabbit food, gripped the burger with both hands, and brought it to my mouth. To keep things classy, I put both pinkies in the air, then bit into the burger with fervor. And holy cow, was it delicious.

Here’s the picture for proof. My friend uploaded it with the caption “Sarah’s first bite of beef in a decade.”

Also note the “You Demand More” sign in the background. So appropriate.

So on that fateful night, I once again became a meat-eater.

For me, homemade burgers are never quite as good as at a restaurant. But meatballs, on the other hand, are almost always better when made from scratch at home.

And to make the perfect meatball, you need the perfect vessel.

Wolf Gourmet has a line of American-made cookware that is almost as pretty as it is functional. Their 10-piece cookware set is cast from multiple layers of stainless-steel coating an aluminum base, delivering superior heat retention and remarkably even cooking.

Now, even as a professional baker, I’m still a 20-something, and my natural inclination is to stick to department store cookware. But after sautéing, searing, and baking in Wolf Gourmet’s 3.5 Quart Sauté Pan, I will not go back to using mediocre cookware ever again.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I felt like a Michelin chef in my own home. My onions browned beautifully with no burn marks; my red wine reduced quickly and evenly; my meatballs created a perfect sear without any residue left on the pan. It was cooking heaven.

So to all you home cooks out there, for your next birthday, Christmas, or treat yo self present, take a look at Wolf Gourmet. I wouldn’t be so adamant if I weren’t so blown away by the quality of both the cookware and subsequently of my food. It. Rocked.

Meatballs for life!

 

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