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1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil 2 rimmed baking sheets with olive oil.
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2
In a large bowl, combine the pork, beef, bread crumbs, pork fat, prosciutto, parsley, 1 tablespoon of the salt, oregano, fennel seeds, and chili flakes and mix with your hands just until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
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3
Set aside.
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4
In a separate bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, and milk just enough to break up any large curds of ricotta.
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5
Add the ricotta mixture to the ground meat mixture and mix lightly with your hands just until incorporated.
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6
The mixture should feel wet and tacky.
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7
Pinch off a small nugget of the mixture, flatten it into a disk, and cook it in a small saute pan.
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8
Taste it and adjust the seasoning of the mixture with salt, if needed.
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9
Form the mixture into balls each weighing about 2 ounces and 1-inch in diameter, and place on the prepared baking sheets.
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10
You should have about 30 meatballs.
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11
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned.
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12
Remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
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13
Sprinkle the tomatoes with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and then pass the tomatoes and their juices through a food mill fitted with the medium plate.
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14
Alternatively, you put the entire can of tomatoes in a large bowl, don an apron, and then squeeze the tomatoes into small pieces with your hands.
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15
Pack the meatballs into 1 large roasting pan or 2 smaller roasting pans.
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16
Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and braise for 1 to 2 hours, or until the meatballs are tender and have absorbed some of the tomato sauce.
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17
Pull the pans out of the oven and uncover.
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18
Distribute the basil leaves throughout the sauce.
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19
For each serving, ladle meatballs with some of the sauce into a warmed bowl.
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20
Grate grana over the top, drizzle with olive oil to finish, and serve immediately.
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21
Pair with Aglianico-Campania
