Guy Fieri Said 'This Is The Way To Do It' After Trying These Old-School Meatballs

Guy Fieri knows a thing or two about good food. The host of the popular show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" has traveled across the country documenting some of the best and more underrated eats. On one episode, he visited a 100-year-old NYC Italian joint, John's of 12th Street, to try its veal meatballs. 

The behind-the-scenes look at the kitchen shows how the chef prepares the meatballs — first by chopping and stuffing frozen veal into a meat grinder. White Italian bread, milk, and egg — classic meatball ingredients — pair with sheep's milk cheese, scallions, caramelized onions, Italian seasonings, and more to form the base of the meatballs. "You feel like you're right in the middle of an old New York mob movie," Fieri jokes. The chef then loads up the mixture another unique ingredient, Marsala wine, and butter. The meatballs are also cooked in a Marsala wine sauce to crisp up the edges before being tossed in marinara sauce and plated.

As you can expect, these meatballs are, as Fieri would say, "money." "Never have I ever had an all-veal meatball," he says. "This is the way to do it. It's a beautiful thing."

Veal is an excellent protein to use in your meatballs because it's lean and lighter than beef, and its tenderness ensures that the meatballs will melt in your mouth as you eat them. Many meatball recipes, including our special Italian meatball recipe, use veal in addition to other meats like ground beef. However, you can make an entirely veal meatball if you prefer. Like John's of 12th Street, you may want to add more flavor to your veal meatballs by adding some sort of sweet element — like Marsala wine or applesauce — to play off the sweetness of the veal. 

Another thing that you'll want to keep in mind is the moisture content of your meatballs. Veal is a lean meat, so you may need to get creative and find ways to add supplemental moisture to your meatballs. Moisture is important because it'll help the balls keep their shape and contribute to a tender bite. You can ensure juicy meatballs by adding a panade (bread mash) like John's of 12th Street does, but also introducing high-moisture ingredients like ricotta cheese can also be helpful.