Oregano-Scented
Lamb Shoulder
Chops with Tomatoes
and Olives
TOTAL 30 MIN; SERVES 4
At the avant-garde restaurant
Trattoria Al Cacciatore in the
Friuli region of Italy, this lamb
is served in a sealed jar to
maximize the aromas. Our
version requires just
30 minutes in a skillet.
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive
oil
1 Tbsp. oregano leaves
4 10-oz. meaty lamb
shoulder chops
Kosher salt and pepper
1 1 / 2 cups cherry tomatoes
(8 oz.), halved
(^1) / 2 cup pitted kalamata
olives, halved
- In a large nonstick skillet,
heat 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Add oregano and cook over
moderate heat, stirring, until
fragrant, 1 minute. Rub lamb
with remaining 2 tablespoons
oil and season with salt
and pepper. Add to skillet
and cook over moderately
high heat, turning once,
until golden brown, 3 to 4
minutes per side. - Add tomatoes and olives
and cook, stirring, until they
start to soften and lamb is
medium-rare within, about
2 minutes longer. Transfer
to plates, spoon pan juices
over meat, and serve.
—TR AT TO R I A A L
CACCIATORE, CORMÒ NS, ITALY
WINE Spice-laden red: 2013
Ronchi di Cialla Colli Orientali
del Friuli Cialla Refosco dal
Peduncolo Rosso.
Square Meatballs with
Pomodoro Sauce
TOTAL 1 HR; SERVES 4For a better sear, chef
Stefan Bowers of Battalion in
San Antonio, Texas, presses
his meatball mixture into a
rectangle and then cuts it into
squares instead of rolling
into balls.SAUCE
(^1) / 4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
(^1) / (^4) small onion, fi nely
chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
(^1) / (^2) tsp. crushed red pepper
4 basil sprigs, plus
chopped leaves for
garnish
1 15-oz. can crushed
tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
ME AT B A L L S
1 1 / 2 lbs. ground beef
1 1 / 2 lbs. ground pork
1 3 /^4 cups shredded
Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese, plus more for
garnish
1 cup shredded Asiago
cheese
1 cup shredded
mozzarella
(^1) / 2 onion, fi nely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
(^1) / 2 cup dried breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
(^1) / (^2) cup packed fi nely
chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. fi nely chopped
oregano
Juice and zest of 1
lemon
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
Black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin
olive oil
- Make the sauce In a
medium saucepan, heat olive
oil. Add onion and cook over
moderate heat, stirring occa-
sionally, until tender, about 5
minutes. Add garlic and cook,
stirring, until fragrant, about 1
minute. Add crushed red pep-
per, basil sprigs, tomatoes,
and sugar and simmer until
thickened slightly, about 15
minutes. Add vinegar and
season with salt. Keep warm.- Make the meatballs Line a
9-by-13-inch rimmed baking
sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine all of
the ingredients except olive
oil. Scrape meat onto pre-
pared baking sheet and press
into a 9-by-13-inch rectangle.
Refrigerate until chilled, at
least 20 minutes. - Unmold and cut meat into
2-by-2-inch squares. In a large
nonstick pan, heat olive oil.
Cook meatballs over moder-
ate heat, turning once, until
they are a deep brown and
just cooked through, about
10 minutes. - To serve, spoon pomodoro
sauce into shallow bowls. Top
sauce with meatballs and
garnish with chopped basil
and more Parmesan.
—STEFAN BOWERS
Meatballs in Tomato
Sauce
ACTIVE 1 HR 30 MIN; TOTAL 2
HR; SERVES 4To make this dish easier,
chef Dan Holzman of
New York City’s Meatball
Shop skips browning his
meatballs. Instead, he
simmers them right in the
delicious tomato sauce.TOMATO SAUCE(^1) / (^2) cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, sliced^3 / 4 in.
thick (^3 / 4 cup)
3 large garlic cloves,
crushed
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
6 oregano sprigs
2 28-oz. cans whole
peeled San Marzano
tomatoes with their
juices, crushed by hand
Pinch of crushed red
pepper
Kosher salt
ME AT B A L L S
(^3) / (^4) lb. ground chuck
(^3) / 4 lb. ground veal
(^3) / 4 lb. ground pork
(^1) / 2 cup Italian-style dry
breadcrumbs
1 oz. freshly grated
Pecorino Romano
cheese (^1 / 4 cup)
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs
(^1) / 2 cup minced onion
(^1) / 2 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped oregano
(^1) / 4 tsp. crushed red pepper
(^1) / 2 tsp. ground fennel
Grated Grana Padano
cheese, for serving
- Make the tomato sauce In
a large ovenproof saucepan,
heat olive oil. Add onion, car-
rots, and garlic and cook over
moderate heat, stirring occa-
sionally, until onion is soft-
ened and translucent, about
8 minutes. Stir in tomato
paste and cook until lightly
caramelized, about 3 min-
utes. Add bay leaf, oregano,
tomatoes, and crushed red
pepper and bring to a simmer.
Cook over moderately low
heat, stirring occasionally,
until slightly thickened, 15
minutes. Season with salt and
keep at a bare simmer. - Meanwhile, make the
meatballs Preheat oven
to 400° F. In a large bowl,
combine all of the ingredients
except Grana Padano and mix
by hand until well incorpo-
rated. Using a 1^1 / 2 -ounce ice
cream scoop (3 tablespoons),
scoop 24 meatballs (1^1 / 2
inches in diameter) and roll
into neat balls. - Add meatballs to simmer-
ing tomato sauce and bring to
a boil. Braise in oven until firm
and cooked through, about
30 minutes. Discard bay leaf
and oregano sprigs. Serve
meatballs and sauce with
Grana Padano on the side.
—DANIEL HOLZMAN
WINE Concentrated, medium-
bodied Italian red.