High Q
is one Smokin' Farker
For the meatball throwdown, I made Arancini. In searching for a meatball dish, I remembered a trip I took to New York City a couple of years ago. We went to Patsy's in mid town and had Arancini, a large ball of Risotto stuffed with meat and meat sauce that was breaded, fried and served over red sauce. Since this was a meatball throwdown, not a rice ball throwdown, I changed it up a bit.
I sauteed minced onion, carrots and celery until translucent, then added 1 pound of ground beef with some tomato paste, kosher salt and white pepper.
Once the meat filling mixture simmered for a bit, I added some sweet peas and put it in the fridge to cool. Simultaneously, I made some long grain rice using chicken broth in lieu of water. I made about 3/4# of rice. I spread that on some wax paper and let it cool in the fridge. Once it cooled, I made Arancini balls by putting a cube of mozzarella in the middle, surrounded it with about a teaspoon of meat filling and then put that in a ball of the rice mixture. I rolled the ball in panko bread crumbs and set aside to cook.
While making the Arancini, I decided to up the meat content so I turned the Arancini inside out. I put the cheese in the middle, surrounded by a teaspoon of rice and made a meatball around the outside using the meat mixture. I rolled that in panko too.
I used the kettle to cook them. I set a fire ring inside the kettle, started a chimney of Kingsford and put the lit coals around the perimeter. I put a pizza stone on the ring and let it get up to temp (somewhere around 450).
I cooked in the kettle for about a half hour. I took the leftover meat filling and added some marinara. I served on my throwdown plate with marinara meat sauce with some shaved parmesan. Here's a photo of the Arancini and the inside out version too. They were both good but the meatier version was really good.
The Arancini
Two Inside out Arancini
Now that's a meatball!
I sauteed minced onion, carrots and celery until translucent, then added 1 pound of ground beef with some tomato paste, kosher salt and white pepper.
Once the meat filling mixture simmered for a bit, I added some sweet peas and put it in the fridge to cool. Simultaneously, I made some long grain rice using chicken broth in lieu of water. I made about 3/4# of rice. I spread that on some wax paper and let it cool in the fridge. Once it cooled, I made Arancini balls by putting a cube of mozzarella in the middle, surrounded it with about a teaspoon of meat filling and then put that in a ball of the rice mixture. I rolled the ball in panko bread crumbs and set aside to cook.
While making the Arancini, I decided to up the meat content so I turned the Arancini inside out. I put the cheese in the middle, surrounded by a teaspoon of rice and made a meatball around the outside using the meat mixture. I rolled that in panko too.
I used the kettle to cook them. I set a fire ring inside the kettle, started a chimney of Kingsford and put the lit coals around the perimeter. I put a pizza stone on the ring and let it get up to temp (somewhere around 450).
I cooked in the kettle for about a half hour. I took the leftover meat filling and added some marinara. I served on my throwdown plate with marinara meat sauce with some shaved parmesan. Here's a photo of the Arancini and the inside out version too. They were both good but the meatier version was really good.
The Arancini
Two Inside out Arancini
Now that's a meatball!
