 Courtesy Crockett’s Public House |
There’s a reason these meatballs from Crockett’s Public House in North Puyallup, Wash., were featured on the Food Network’s “Decadent Dishes” episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It’s for their taste, flavor and texture. Another reason is the recipe itself and the select ingredients.
“We make everything from scratch,” says owner Shaun Brobak. Nothing—from their sauces and soups to flat breads and fresh-baked strawberry rhubarb pie—comes out of a jar or can unless they made it themselves first.
To be honest, we weren’t the only customers queuing up for a second serving of Chef Brian Johnston’s meatballs. No one could get enough of them!
“All of our meats are from Washington State,” Brobak says. “We purchase our produce from Washington as often as the sun allows.”
Crockett’s Public House’s beef comes from Open Prairie Natural Angus, supplied by ranchers Jerry Wulf of Wulf Ranches, Fred Wacker of Cross Four Ranch, Thad York of Silver Spur Ranch, and Rex Harder of Golden West Cattle Company. Their beef contains no hormones or antibiotics.
While you might head to Crockett’s gastropub to grab a cold one, plan on staying for a memorable meal defined by quality ingredients and original recipes.
Recipe: Crockett’s Public House Meatballs
Yield: About 12 meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 3 slices white bread, cut in small cubes
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 T. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 T. kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp. crushed red chiles
- 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp. gelatin mixed with 1/2 tablespoon water
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 8 ounces ground veal
- 3 ounces finely minced prosciutto
- 3/4 cup grated Romano
- 3/4 cup olive oil
Marinara Sauce
- 15 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
- 15 ounces finely diced yellow onions
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 gallon whole cooked plum tomatoes with juice
- 3/4 ounces sliced fresh sweet basil
- 1/2 T. fresh ground black pepper
Garnish
- 8 ounces shredded Parmesan
- 4 T. chopped pistachios
- 2 T. freshly grated lime zest
Preparation
Meatballs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking sheet.
Combine bread, buttermilk, parsley, garlic, egg yolks, cayenne pepper, salt, crushed chiles, black pepper, white pepper and gelatin mixture to create paste. Add beef, pork, veal, prosciutto, Romano and olive oil. Mix thoroughly.
Form mixture into 12 4½-ounce meatballs, and place on prepared baking sheet. Cook until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
Marinara Sauce
In large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine oil, onions and garlic, and cook until softened. Remove from heat, and combine in large bowl with tomatoes, basil and pepper. Crush tomatoes by hand to desired size.
Assembly
Place meatballs in baking pan and pour marinara over top. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
Place meatballs in a serving bowl, top with the marinara, and garnish with Parmesan, chopped pistachios and lime zest.
Savoring the good life,
