Lemony Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground meat (I use a mix of beef, pork, and veal, but you can use a ground meat of your choosing)
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• zest of one lemon (hang onto that lemon - you need the juice of it for the sauce)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 3 - 4 large eggs
• pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine (approximately 1/2 of a 750ml bottle)
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups water
• 4 bay leaves
• the juice of one lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Combine the meat, bread crumbs, Pecorino-Romano, lemon zest, oregano, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well knowing that you will have a fairly dry looking mixture on your hands. Add the eggs, one at a time, until the meat mixture holds together. You may only need 3 eggs, however, I have used 4 each time I've made this dish in recent weeks. I did say it was my go-to appetizer, did I not?
2. Place a piece of waxed paper on a large baking sheet or directly on your counter. Roll the meat mixture into golf ball-sized balls and place on the waxed paper. You will end up with 32 or 33 meatballs. I must add that I've ended up with 33 each of the last two times I've made this.
3. Place the flour in a bowl or on a plate and roll each meatball in the flour to coat completely. Shake off excess flour and return meatballs to the waxed paper. Resist the temptation to create the meatballs and flour them in the same step. You will only wind up with flour, meat, and egg-induced elephantitis of the hands if you try to combine those two activities.
4. Once all meatballs are flour-coated, heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a large brazier pan, dutch oven, cast iron fry pan, or another heavy pan with a large cooking surface and deep sides. Once the butter has melted and both it and the oil are hot, add the meatballs and brown on all sides. This may require some maneuvering of meatballs around the pan in order to fit them all, so don't be alarmed if it takes you a few minutes to get all 33 meatballs into the pan. They shrink as they are browning, so eventually you should be able to get them all in and browned. If this does not appear to be the case, remove some that are sufficiently browned and place them on a plate in order to make room for the ones that require browning, then once all are browned, return the removed ones back to the pan for this next step.
5. Add the white wine to the pan. It will bubble when it first goes in, so pour it slowly to avoid splashing it back in your eyes. Allow it to simmer for a minute, and then add the water such that the liquid comes almost to the top of the meatballs. You'll need to use your best judgment as to whether you need 1 cup or more of water. Add the bay leaves and crushed red pepper. Simmer gently, uncovered, until meatballs are cooked through, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the juice of that one lemon you zested. Salt and pepper to taste, transfer meatballs and all of the sauce to a serving bowl or casserole dish, and watch them disappear. If you are bringing these to someone else's home, so long as you put them in an oven-proof dish, you can reheat them at 350 degrees for around 15 minutes and they'll be good to go.
6. If you don't want to share with others (outside of your own household) and are looking for a new dinner option, serve the meatballs and sauce with spaghetti for a spicy-lemony take on the old classic.