FOOD GIRL: Not So Davio’s Meatballs

You know when you decide to try a new recipe then realize you don’t have this or that and you’ve never even heard of that other thing and well…So that was me on a recent Sunday.

I bought my husband a new cookbook for Christmas. I should say I bought us a new cookbook for Christmas.

I knew he’d flip through it, mention a few recipes we should try, call it nice, and that would be that. It’s not like we didn’t discuss it beforehand.

Billy Costa and Jenny Johnson have published a cookbook, “A Taste of Boston: The Definitive Cookbook of the City We Love.” It is filled with profiles of great Boston chefs and each offers up a recipe from their kitchen.

I just love that idea. So many of them I know of and a few I’ve even met. Very exciting and Rich liked the idea too – or maybe he was just being polite.

I know using an actual cookbook is so passe! That’s what tablets and large screen phones are for, but I still love to hold a book, read the sidenotes and scribble in the margins when I actually get around to trying recipes. I love that you can pick up a random cookbook in my kitchen and tell by the spattered pages, which are my most used recipes.

My mom was a great one for cookbooks. She would read them cover to cover like a novel. And when they’re specific, like this one or one I gave my brother a few years ago — “Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars” — they can still be a fun gift. And no, he’s not in jail nor on his way (that I know of) – I just knew he’d find it amusing.

I digress – here, the great Lydia Shire and her kedgeree recipe, Jen and Josh Ziskin and their salt cod potato cakes, Andy Husbands and a pork belly banh mi and Jodi Adams and her ricotta gnocchi with mushrooms all grace the pages of “A Taste of Boston” along with dozens of others. It even has a forward by Mark Wahlberg – how much more Boston can you get?

We were instantly smitten by a recipe for Davio’s meatballs. Davio’s is one of the great and long-lasting restaurants in Boston (and 10 other places as well apparently).

I’ve never had Davio’s meatballs. I admit I almost never order meatballs when I go out unless someone tells me specifically and with good reason to do so. My husband makes great meatballs and honestly, I’m usually meh about anyone else's.

That and going out to dinner is expensive so if we’re going to do it, I’m not going to order something I make fairly regularly at home (with the exception of a really good burger – I’ll go far and wide for a really good burger!).

That said, we were intrigued. Then we read the recipe.

No wonder they are said to be fantastic – they start with ground American-style Kobe beef. What is American-style Kobe beef? Glad you asked – I didn’t know either.

Kobe is a city in Japan, which is, according to USDA.gov, home to the Tajima strain of Wagyu cattle (i.e. fancy cattle raised in Japan), which is said to produce the richest, juiciest, most tender beef (due to a high marbling content) in the world.

Not to be outdone – as of 1994, U.S. producers got into the mix offering the American Kobe-style beef featuring the same characteristics as the Japanese because they brought herds of Kryoshi and Akaushi breeds of Wagyu cattle here. Of course they did.

Unfortunately, it is not something I could pick up at the local Market Basket or even Whole Foods. Huh, so what to do. Looking over the meat counter, I saw brisket burgers. Again, I was intrigued – I didn’t know they made brisket burgers – clearly, I need to get out more!

I bought it. Is it a one-to-one swap with the American Kobe? Hardly. But brisket is marbly so I figured the taste would be good.

Next up, ground veal. Really? Now ground veal isn’t often that hard to find, but Sunday I was again out of luck. Granted, I didn’t go running all over town. It was raining.

So, I’m staring at my options: ground lamb, more ground beef or wait, ground bison? That sounds good! I know, we’re not even on the same train anymore. But I did get the ground pork, fresh parsley and basil, the grated cheeses and a white onion (no yellow onion for our meatballs) that Davio’s called for so I’m on a similar track. Sort of.

I sauteed my onion and garlic on low in olive oil, mixed it with my meat trio, bread crumbs soaked in milk (alas, all I had was almond milk and the recipe called for whole, of course. Derailed again), added cheese, spices and an egg and you know what?

They might not be Davio’s meatballs, but they were really, really good!
Someday I’ll go back and make Davio’s meatballs as they should be made, but tonight we dine on the Not-Even-Close meatballs and they are fabulous, too.

Tip: Whether you’re making homemade sauce or using jarred, after you brown the meatballs, deglaze the pan with a half a cup or so of Bordeaux or any red wine you have on hand. Scrape up all those little browned bits and pieces of onion left behind, let the liquid reduce by about half and then add it to your sauce. So. Good!

RECIPE: Not-Davio’s Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ cup milk

1 small white onion, diced

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1 good swirl of olive oil

½ lb. ground brisket

½ lb. ground bison

½ lb. ground pork

½ cup grated parmesan/Romano mix

¼ cup very loosely packed fresh basil, chopped

¼ cup loosely packed parsley, chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Salt & pepper to taste

Canola or vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

In a medium sized bowl, mix breadcrumbs with milk and set aside.
Over medium -low heat, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until soft, then let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, toss in brisket, bison and pork. Add breadcrumb mixture (breaking up any lumps with your fingers), onion and garlic mixture, cheeses, herbs and egg and mix well. I like to use my hands, you can use a spoon or even the paddle on a stand mixer, but don’t overwork it.

Let chill for an hour or so. This lets the flavors mingle and also makes the meatballs a little tighter (it’s a good idea, but not essential and if you’re short on time, don’t worry).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

You can really make your meatballs any size you like. I tend to keep the golf-ball sized or a little larger. Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan, add meatballs without crowding and brown them well. Repeat adding more oil if needed.

Transfer the browned meatballs to a rimmed baking pan and pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes then transfer them to your sauce to finish off the sauce and the meatballs. Then serve over the pasta of your choice.

Chris Stevens is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years of experience. She wrote a popular weekly food and dining column for the Lynn Item and was a food reporter for Gannett Media. Check out her Food Girl column here at Gotta Know Medford.