Kobe Beef Meatballs

Directions

1. In a large bowl, soak the bread in the milk for 10 to 15 minutes; if it soaks longer, that is even better. Break bread apart into small pieces, squeeze out most of the moisture and set aside.
2. Over medium-high heat, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Place the sautéed onions, garlic and all the remaining ingredients, except the marinara in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. Remove the meatball mixture from the refrigerator and form into 3-ounce balls. Place the balls closely together on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake until the balls are brown on the outside and slightly pink on the inside, about 20 minutes. (If you prefer, you may brown the meatballs in olive oil in a frying pan on the stovetop. But this will take more time, since you will need to do it in batches and keep turning them so they brown evenly.) Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
5. Heat the marinara sauce in a large pot or Dutch oven on the stovetop. Carefully place the slightly cooled meatballs into the sauce. All the meatballs should be covered by at least an inch of sauce. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake the meatballs for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
6. Serve with some of the marinara sauce and additional grated Parmigiano or Pecorino or a mix of the two for sprinkling.