Chef Hale · Signature Recipe
Chef Hale’s Signature Italian Meatballs
Slow simmered in San Marzano tomato sauce
For me, a great meatball is all about balance, craftsmanship, and starting with ingredients you’d be proud to serve on their own.
Prime beef, heritage pork, authentic Italian cheeses, San Marzano tomatoes, and beautiful extra virgin olive oil all bring something different to the dish. Nothing is there just because tradition says it should be.
The goal is simple: treat humble ingredients with care, build layers of flavor, and turn something familiar into something memorable. That is what great Italian cooking and great hospitality is all about.
I prefer a three-meat blend. The balance gives richness from the pork, structure from the beef, and tenderness from the veal.
The Meatballs
- 1 lb Prime ground chuck
- 10 oz Berkshire ground pork
- 6 oz Ground veal
- 1 cup Fresh brioche breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup Whole milk
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Freshly grated 36-month Parmigiano Reggiano
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely grated
- 2 tbsp Finely minced shallot
- ¼ cup Chopped Italian parsley
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper
- Pinch of Calabrian chile flakes
- 1/8 tsp Fresh grated nutmeg
- 2 tbsp Cold unsalted butter, diced
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Chef Hale’s Signature Red Sauce
- 2 (28 oz) cans San Marzano DOP tomatoes
- ¼ cup Premium extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 Small sweet onion, grated
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- ½ cup Dry Barolo or Chianti Classico
- 1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
- 2 sprigs Basil
- 1 sprig Oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Small pinch of sugar, only if needed
To Finish
- Burrata
- Fresh basil
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Sicilian finishing olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
Soak the crumbs
Soak the brioche breadcrumbs in the milk for 10 minutes.
Combine gently
Gently combine all meatball ingredients. Do not overmix.
Fold in the diced cold butter at the very end. As the meatballs cook, the butter slowly melts, creating an incredibly tender interior.
Roll and rest
Roll into approximately 3½-ounce meatballs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Sear deeply
Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet. Brown each meatball on every side until deeply caramelized.
Don’t cook them through....Remove.
- Slowly cook the onion in olive oil until translucent.
- Add garlic and cook gently.
- Add tomato paste and cook until brick red.
- Deglaze with the wine.
- Crush the San Marzano tomatoes by hand and add them to the pot.
- Add the cheese rind, herbs, chile flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer uncovered for 90 minutes.
- Remove the herbs and cheese rind.
- Nestle the browned meatballs into the sauce and cover.
- Cook another 45 minutes over very low heat...Never boil.
Place three meatballs into a shallow warm bowl. Ladle over the sauce. Top with:
- Fresh burrata
- Fresh basil
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Sicilian olive oil
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Grilled sourdough rubbed with garlic
Instead of water, use homemade veal or beef stock if the sauce needs thinning.
Finish with cultured European butter just before serving for a silky texture.
Add one tablespoon of finely minced prosciutto di Parma to the meat mixture for incredible depth without making the meatballs taste “hammy.”
Let the sauce rest overnight. The flavor is noticeably better on day two.
Serve with fresh pappardelle or tagliatelle, creamy Parmigiano-Reggiano polenta, or grilled rustic country bread.
Pour a bottle of 2013 Brunello di Montalcino or a Charles Krug 2019 Generations Red Reserve.
