Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs
Raw, next question.
It’s been a saucy controversy that has gotten Italian American cooks hot under the collar for generations: should you fry your meatballs, or cook ‘em right in the sauce?
The home chef and social media personality Antoinette Gangi, known to her legion of followers as “Antoinette’s Italian Kitchen,” cooked her way into viral fame with a method she’s sworn by for decades.
But even she didn’t know how divisive it would be to declare cooking raw meat, an age-old tradition with fervent defenders and just as many detractors, as the best way in a now-viral video.
“I was at home in Vegas and it was 87 degrees and my son happened to film me in my summer dress making the meatballs raw in the sauce,” she told The Post.
That video ricocheted around the internet, riling up pro chefs and home cooks, and even earned her a catchphrase she’s stitched onto hats: “I don’t fry them, I don’t bake them, I throw them right in the sauce.”
Gangi, who was born in Paramus, New Jersey, and has been cooking since she was 10 years old, said she’s still reeling from the effects of her polarizing recipe, which she re-created on “The Drew Barrymore Show.” (For the record, Drew loved them but surprise guest Tony Danza was less enthused, admitting he prefers fried.)
“It’s really unbelievable,” Gangi, who described herself as a “young 72,” marveled from her home in Vegas where she lives part time. “I think it’s because when you think of Italian food, you think of spaghetti and meatballs. And my meatballs have really opened up doors for me.”
Before she began uploading cooking videos on Instagram and TikTok, Gangi worked as a successful real estate agent for 35 years, cooking for family, friends and charity work. Her delicious food turned Gangi into something of a local legend thanks to her old-world recipes and a Nonna charm.
“One night a policeman in River Vale pulled me over,” she remembered of a memorable drive in the northern New Jersey community. “He said, ‘Get out of the car and put your hands up on the roof.’ I looked at him and said, ‘Officer, what did I do?’ He said, ‘My wife wants your meatball recipe.’”
Capitalizing on her burgeoning fandom, her son Roger gifted her four professionally filmed cooking segments, featuring the rising chef showing off her long-standing family recipes.
But it was her meatball recipe, shot in the spur of the moment, that launched her into foodie infamy.
Naturally, her viral method has ignited a food fight in the comments section.
“This is an old school Italian thing, so many Karen’s in here who are not old school Italian,” said Julia Siracusa from her Instagram account @the_real_haunted_housewife.
“I’m old school Italian and every single old school Italian in my family would never touch anything until we washed our hands from raw meat[s],” replied @Tina_Posie. “I fry my meatballs first and they are still tender and my sauce isn’t greasy. It all depends on the mix.”
Ball of confusion
In her wake, Gangi riled up a long-standing debate about her controversial meatball method, considered sacrilegious in some households.
“As a very typical Italian American, on Sunday morning when I was growing up you’d come down and always smell meatballs frying on the stovetop, 100%,” said Michael Cacace, whose family runs the long-standing Marine Park restaurant Michael’s of Brooklyn.
“Cooking them beforehand helps get all of that grease and fat out, and gives it a nice crispy outer shell,” he said of his family method. However, Cacace conceded the meatballs are baked for his restaurant due to the sheer volume needed on a daily basis.
“But I’ve never come across anyone who throws them in raw,” he said, with a laugh. “I don’t know what the Jersey cooks have going on.”
Over in the West Village, Arthur and Sons owner Joe Isidori also balked at the raw method, telling The Post in no uncertain terms: “Always fry your balls!”
Even the actor Tony Danza, who taste-tested Gangi’s method live on-air when he appeared as a surprise guest during her turn on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” came out firmly as Team Fry.
“I’m sorry, but I think they need to be cooked before they go in,” Danza said. “That’s OK, a lot of people think that,” responded Gangi.
Fry again
“Growing up, my mom always fried them,” the Staten Island internet personality Joe Scarlotta Sr., the father of the popular Scarlotta Twins, told The Post. “I used to come home from a late night out and have a meatball sandwich before I went to bed. But over the years I’ve heard a couple people say, ‘Oh, just try it, drop them into the sauce.’”
It was Gangi’s viral video that renewed his interest. “I’m recently retired and have some time on my hands, so I said to myself that it’s going on too long, I have to try them for myself.”
With that, Scarlotta Sr. tested the raw method in a clip that has accumulated over 20 million views on his social platforms.
The verdict? “To be honest, there wasn’t much difference. The taste is very similar; it comes out soft but it just doesn’t have that crust. Though, my favorite is still fried.”
Regardless of anybody’s opinion, Gangi is reveling in her raw impact.
“I get stopped all the time when I go out now,” she said of the fandom. “I got a private message today from a woman who said my recipes are a new joy in her life and it made me emotional.”
“I have another catchphrase: I want to change the world, one meatball at a time.”
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 90 minutes (Partially Covered) Simmer
Serves: 8-10
Sauce Ingredients
8 pork Italian sausages
2 cans 28 oz of San Marzano crushed tomatoes
1 can of 28 oz tomato puree
1 can of 6oz tomato paste
12 leaves of fresh basil
1 cup of dry red wine
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium size onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce Preparation
Sauté sausage in a large pot of EVOO, garlic, onion, tomato paste and salt/pepper to taste. Add all ingredients above to pot and then simmer the sauce for one hour in a covered pot.
Meat Ingredients
2 lbs of ground beef
1 cup of seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup of grated Locatelli Romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup of onion powder
2 tbsp of garlic powder
2 eggs
Meat Preparation
In a large bowl — add 2 eggs, lightly beaten. Add all ingredients above, gently mix and combine. Wet the palm of your hands with warm water using a small bowl. This process will keep the meatballs moist. Start rolling meatballs. Roll each meatball the same desired sized. This should make about 25-30 meatballs. Place the meatballs into the sauce as it simmers and cook for 1 hour in a partial covered pot.
