Egremont— Being invited to David and Terri’s beautiful Scandinavian hilltop home is always a pleasure, a time to hear about David’s latest concert tour. David Behrman is an octogenarian hipster, which I guess you could say the same of me. He’s a cutting edge electronic music composer and an Art Garfunkel look alike, only cuter.
I call David “Maestro” for that is who he is, a pioneer of digital music who’s worked with the likes of John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and Jasper Johns among other luminaries. What’s most important is that he loves my meatballs. Here’s the recipe, good for four servings coupled with your favorite pasta:
Meatballs for the Maestro
Meatballs:
1 1/2 pound mix of ground beef, veal, and pork
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon all-spice
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup olive oil
In a food processor, combine the herbs with chopped onion and garlic. Add one half tablespoon olive oil (reserve the rest), and blend for 15 seconds.
In a mixing bowl, combine meat, bread crumbs, and the remaining ingredients. Mix well.
Carefully form eight equal sized balls – a tablespoon comes in handy for portioning the meat into equal portions.
Add the remaining olive oil to a high sided 8-10” pan, and heat it for about four minutes.
Add the meatballs and sauté over a medium flame, turning frequently until golden brown for about ten minutes. Plate meatballs, set aside.
Sauce:
1 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
3 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cinnamon each
5 cloves chopped garlic cloves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion chopped
1 sweet red pepper, sliced vertically
1 cup water at the ready
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Add the olive oil to the same pan meatballs were sautéd in, and heat. Add the onion and slices of red pepper. Continue cooking until the onions turn opaque
Add the can of tomatoes, chopping them with a wooden spoon as they cook. Continue cooking on a medium flame for 15 minutes.
Add the meatballs and cook for 45 minutes to an hour – the longer the better.
Add water if the sauce begins to dry out, a little bit at a time, as needed.
Add cooked pasta (I like penne rigate) and bathe it in the sauce for 5 minutes.
Transfer to individual serving bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Buon appetito!
‘What’s on the Board?’ by Neil Fox.
