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Roman-Style Meatball Cacciatore
At Piatto Romano restaurant in Rome, we learned that the local way to make cacciatore doesn’t involve tomatoes. Rather, the sauce has a base of white wine and is infused with rosemary and garlic, plus anchovies that lend umami but whose flavor otherwise fades into the background. White wine vinegar added at the finish brightens the profile. This recipe is our version of Piatto Romano’s polpettine alla cacciatora that pairs meatballs, well-seared to develop flavor-building browning, with the bold yet bright sauce. Though the restaurant uses only beef to make their meatballs, we preferred the more tender texture we got by including ground pork. Polenta or warm, crusty bread are good accompaniments.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t cook the meatballs immediately after shaping them. Refrigerating them for at least an hour will firm them up so they hold together better in the skillet.
1 hour
plus chilling
Ingredients
-
¼
cup plain fine dried breadcrumbs
-
2
large eggs
Directions
-
01In a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup water, the breadcrumbs, eggs, grated garlic, parsley and ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Add the beef and pork, then mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Divide into 20 portions (about 2 tablespoons each) and place on a large plate. Using your hands, form each into a smooth ball. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour (the meatballs can be refrigerated up to 12 hours, covered).
Reviews
August 3, 2025
Horrible 😑
Hello Team, I am an avid fan of Christopher Kimball’s magazines. I have been a subscriber to Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, ATK, and Milk Street, starting with CI about 16 years ago. All the recipes I have tried until now have been excellent. This is the first time I feel the need to leave negative feedback. I believe there may be an issue with the recipe, the ingredients, or the instructions. The meatballs were acceptable, but the sauce did not work as written. The meat bits released during cooking gave it a gritty texture. The garlic did not brown in one minute. With 1 cup of broth, 2 cups of wine, and ½ cup of water, the final result was thin and soupy. I passed the sauce through a sieve and reduced it further without the meatballs. This improved the texture slightly. It may help to add a tablespoon of flour after the garlic and anchovies, cooking it briefly before adding the liquid. This could thicken the sauce and allow it to cling better to the meatballs. I would appreciate your feedback and would be happy to try again if I understand what went wrong. Thank you. M
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