Recipe Finds: Meatball battle in New York State with Bobby Flay

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I am a fan of Cinzetti's in Overland Park, KS and their awesome, always excellent Italian amazing buffet. Some people don't think the stuff is Italian, not authentic or whatever. I disagree. I still thing there are many good items. I usually try it as tapas and take a little bit of everything but the calamaric, frittata, spedinini and soups and desserts are superb. However because we don't go out to eat Italian very often we might only hit this place one or twice a year. I mean there are so many other restaurants and I do like to cook at home. However I needed another possible recipe and I was thinking about meatballs sometime. Up comes, Bobby Flay's Throwdown in which he battles a family's 100 year meatball recipe in New York State. It was a tough battle but traditional, again, and this time the 100 year old recipe won out.

Look at both recipes and see what you think. I plan to try both of them.
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Grandma Maronis Meatballs 100 Year Old Recipe

Recipe courtesy Mike Maroni

Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Meatballs

Ingredients

* 1 pound ground chuck
* 4 ounces dried bread crumbs
* 4 large eggs
* 4 ounces whole milk
* 6 ounces grated Romano
* 3 ounces grated Spanish onion
* 2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic
* 2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
* 2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs.

Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

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Maroni Sauce

Recipe courtesy Mike Maroni

Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Meatballs


Ingredients

* 6 ounces good olive oil, not extra-virgin
* 12 cloves garlic, finely sliced
* 1 large or 2 medium Spanish onions, finely diced
* 2 (28-ounce) cans imported crushed tomatoes
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
* 1 large handful julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil. Once heated add the finely sliced garlic and onions to the pan. Cook over medium heat until soft and slightly brown. Next add the canned crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the julienned basil.

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Bobby Flay
Spaghetti and Meatballs


Ingredients
For the Meatballs:

* 2 tablespoons, plus 1 cup pure olive oil
* 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 2 large eggs
* 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 1/2 pound ground chuck
* 1/2 pound ground veal
* 1/2 pound ground pork butt
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (made from fresh white bread)
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Tomato Sauce:

* 1/4 cup pure olive oil
* 2 medium Spanish onions, finely chopped
* 4 to 6 cloves garlic, rubbed to paste
* 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
* 1/4 cup tablespoons tomato paste
* 4 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes and their juice, mashed up with a whisk
* 2 small Cubano peppers, whole, with some knife slits
* 16 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound (number 8 or 9) spaghetti, cooked al dente
* 3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
* Wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano
* Fresh parsley sprigs, for garnish

For the meatballs:
Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs and parsley in a large bowl. Add the browned garlic, meats and cheese and gently mix together until combined. Begin adding bread crumbs 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture just holds together. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Form the meat into 1 1/2-inch balls.

Heat the remaining 1 cup of oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the meatballs and fry until golden brown on all sides. Carefully remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
For the Tomato Sauce:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and chili flakes and cook until the onion is soft. Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomatoes and let simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Add the peppers and parsley sprigs, season with salt and pepper, to taste, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the meatballs, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the meatballs have cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes longer.

Drain the spaghetti and return to the pot. Add some of the sauce and toss to coat for about 30 seconds. Stir the chopped basil into the tomato sauce and ladle some of the sauce over the spaghetti and meatballs. Grate lots of Parmesan over the top and garnish with fresh parsley sprigs.