Big Stuffed Sunday Meatballs

Method

1. Preheat your smoker to 99°C (210°F), set up for indirect heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit for 10 minutes, until soaked to a soft paste.
3. Add the meat, eggs, parmesan, garlic, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the breadcrumb paste. Mix with your hands just until evenly combined.
4. Divide into 10 to 12 portions, about 150 g each. Flatten a portion in your palm, press a 2 cm cube of mozzarella into the centre, and wrap the meat fully around it, sealing the seam well; the cheese pocket needs a full wrap of meat around it to hold through the long braise.
5. Arrange the meatballs on a wire rack or directly on the smoker grate, with space between each.
6. Smoke at 99°C for 60 to 70 minutes, until the surface has taken on deep colour and a real bark. They won’t be cooked through; that’s expected.
7. While the meatballs smoke, start the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
8. Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer.
9. Transfer the smoked meatballs into the sauce. Cover partially and simmer very gently for about 90 minutes, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature is well past 71°C and a skewer meets no resistance.
10. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• These are built to be cut into, not eaten whole in one bite. A 150 g meatball with a cheese pocket at the centre is meant to sit at the middle of the plate, sliced open at the table so the melted cheese runs into the sauce.
• Smoke first, then braise, never the reverse. The smoke stage is entirely about building bark and flavour on the surface before the meatball goes anywhere near liquid; braising first would never let the smoke take hold, and skipping the smoke entirely turns this into a very good but ordinary Sunday gravy meatball.
• A firmer melting cheese, like a low-moisture mozzarella or a young provolone, holds its pocket shape better through the long braise than a fresh, wet mozzarella, which is more likely to break through the seam.
• Don’t rush the braise. A meatball this size needs the full 90 minutes at a bare simmer to go from just-cooked to genuinely tender; a hard boil will firm the outside before the inside catches up.

Ingredient substitutions

• All beef, or all pork, works if that’s what’s on hand; a straight chuck-and-shoulder mix gives the most forgiving texture for a meatball this size.
• A young provolone or firm mozzarella in place of fresh mozzarella, for a cheese pocket that holds its shape better.
• Serve over wide pasta or polenta, or with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.