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| Buca di Beppo's half-pound Meatball |
Wednesday, March 9th is National Meatball Day... a very big deal if (like me) you love meatballs. One of our favorites (#2 on our Top 5) is Buca di Beppo (1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW.) Their meatballs are an impressive half-pound each. A small portion (only $6.99) feeds two or more. A large ($15.99) serves four or more. Click here to read our September 2014 review. We're already counting the days to our next visit/review.
Busy Wednesday? You can make Buca di Beppo's meatballs at home (or at least try to.)
From our friends at Buca di Beppo...
Why would we release this very flavorful and much sought after secret formula, you ask? Because our sit-down restaurants are all about family togetherness and we know nothing brings a family together quite like cooking at home! We hope you’ll try making this straight-from-the-source recipe in your own kitchen some time. You could even pick up a to-go pan of some real deal half pound meatballs and a hold a little taste test. Of course, the exact recipe calls for a whole lot of Buca marinara and we’re keeping that formula under wraps... for now.
Buca di Beppo’s Famous Meatball Recipe (Makes 6 Large Meatballs)
You’ll need:
1½ pounds ground chuck
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ cup bread crumbs (preferably Italian)
2 large eggs
6 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
8 ounces of water
32 ounces of authentic marinara sauce
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350ยบ. In a mixing bowl, combine first seven ingredients and mix thoroughly. Do not over mix - this will cause the meatballs to become tough. Divide into equal portions and shape into six meatballs. Place meatballs on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake until a dark brown crust forms (13-15 minutes.)
Step 2: Transfer meatballs to a Dutch oven. Combine marinara sauce and water, and pour over the meatballs. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until meatballs are cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes. Place the meatballs on a platter. Skim the oil from the top of the marinara and ladle it over the meatballs.
Do all this and you should be able to enjoy a Buca-style meal in the comfort of your home! If it doesn’t turn out quite as you’d hoped, though, our doors are always open during dinnertime for dine-in and carry-out.
