Ingredients
Spiced Oil (this goes in the meatballs)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Chimichurri (this goes on top)
- ¾ cup parsley finely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground beef 80/20
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Method
Make the Spiced Oil
- Warm the olive oil in a small pan over low heat with the grated garlic, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika and dried oregano. About 2 minutes, until it smells like all four and the garlic is barely sizzling. Do not let anything brown.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool completely. This is the half of the chimichurri that survives an oven. Chile, paprika and oregano are fat-soluble and heat-stable, so they get better in the meat, and warming them in oil is what pulls the flavor out of them.
Make the Chimichurri
- Combine the parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl or jar. Stir in the red wine vinegar and leave it a minute, until the salt has dissolved and the onion has lost its raw edge.
- Stir in the olive oil. It will pull together and then settle back out within a few minutes, which is what chimichurri does and is not a mistake. Stir it every time before you spoon it, or you get oil off the top and paste off the bottom. This half only works cold and raw, which is why none of it goes in the meat.
Mix the Meatballs
- Stir the panko, milk and eggs together in a large bowl and leave it 5 minutes. The crumbs go from dry and sharp to soft and swollen. That is the panade, and it is the whole reason the meatballs stay tender: it holds water while the beef contracts and squeezes its own out.
- Add the ground beef, the cooled spiced oil and the kosher salt. Mix thoroughly with your hands. The salt is doing structural work here rather than just seasoning, so the amount matters. Cook a small test piece in a skillet to check the seasoning and adjust.
- Form 1.5-inch meatballs and chill them 20 minutes. Cold meatballs hold their shape going into a hot pan.
Cook
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Film a cast iron skillet with oil over medium-high and brown the meatballs in batches, turning to get color on most sides. Do not crowd the pan. They will release on their own once the crust has set, so do not nudge them before they let go.
- Transfer to the oven and finish 10 to 12 minutes, until the center reads 160°F.
To Serve
- Stir the chimichurri, then spoon it over at the table.
Notes
Storage: Meatballs and extra chimichurri both keep in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat the meatballs in a 350°F oven until warmed through so the crust does not go soggy, then spoon fresh sauce over before serving.