Spheres of influence
At Certified restaurant, it’s all about meatballs
Chef Bill Brodsky is having a ball. As chief culinary officer for Boston Nightlife Ventures, the team behind a handful of very different local restaurants, Brodsky oversees a diverse array of eats — from spicy alligator tacos at Somerville's Southern Kin to butterpoached lobster rolls at The Tap Trailhouse near Faneuil Hall.
But he's particularly pumped about the group's latest concept, Certified Meatball Company, which opened over the weekend. The spirited South Boston restaurant bases its identity entirely around — you guessed it — meatballs. But these aren't standard, red sauce-slathered spheres that sit atop mountains of spaghetti.
At Certified, the eponymous eats come in a slew of staple varieties and rotating specials, all reflecting different cultures and cuisines. They are accompanied by a lineup of mix-and-match sauces and sides. Meatballs are tucked into panini sandwiches or stuffed inside bao, Chinese-style steamed buns. And even the dessert menu rounds out the concept, using doughnut-style “Sweet Balls” in various decadent combos.
“It's playful,” said Brodsky of Certified. “It's not something where people are going to be over-challenged by the dishes. The main ingredient is something everyone knows. So it's all about trying to serve that ingredient in the most fun, creative manner.”
Brodsky says Certified was inspired, in part, by The Meatball Shop, a small New York City chain with a similar premise. He says he wanted Certified, though, to be more “chef-driven.” He culled inspiration from around the world, resulting in spicy Korean pork balls (sometimes stuffed into banh mi), Moroccan lamb balls (used for his mother's chowder recipe) and more. A build-your-own-plate program offers four two-ounce balls covered in a sauce of choice — so guests can pair beef balls with spiced herb yogurt, or veggie balls with mushroom stroganoff gravy. They can be topped with addons such as a fried egg.
Some specialty dishes are truly wacky, such as the 1 pound “turducken” ball: a chicken meatball encased in a duck meatball, wrapped in a turkey meatball. They're washed down with a dozen-strong list of craft beers and inventive cocktails all served on draft, from coconut-lemongrass sake with green tea to a cold-brew coffee cocktail made with maple rum.
“In researching meatballs, I realized how popular they are across cultures,” Brodsky said. “Every ethnicity has their own version of a meatball.”
Hence, perhaps, the dessert menu's piece de resistance: the Lady Liberty, a shareable bowl of cake ball
truffles — from Brazilian brigadeiros to Kahlua-soaked chocolate — topped with ice cream, malted waffles, and chocolate and butterscotch sauces. It's even topped with a sparkler. Give us your gluttons, yearning to eat well.
And it's cheap: Dishes average around 10 bucks, part of the restaurant's intent to be a “friendly neighborhood joint,” Brodsky said. The 425 West Broadway location was designed to look like a longstanding haunt, evocative of butcher shops and armed with a market-style stand for grab-and-go grub. But the details suggest a modern brand in the making, from the sellable swag such as T-shirts to the more modern, stylish elements, such as a 23-foot-long fully retractable skylight that essentially offers an al fresco experience. Certified will soon roll out a brunch menu augmented by a trend-seeking drink list centered around rose wine. And Brodsky hasn't ruled out the possibility of another Certified popping up elsewhere down the line.
In the meanwhile, Boston Nightlife Ventures has a few other ideas in the offing. Brodsky says there are talks to open a second location of Southern Kin, and that Akinto, the group's new Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant, should arrive in the South End in early winter. Next year, the team will focus on opening Little Own Tavern, a rustic Italian restaurant seeking an address.
Brodsky also shared two meatball recipes; his takes on the perfect classic, and a more creative meatball chowder, too.
CLASSIC MEATBALL
3 oz. olive oil 6 oz. chopped onion 1A t. chopped garlic 3 oz. chopped celery 3 oz. water 1A lb. ground beef A lb. ground pork 2 eggs 2 T. chopped parsley 1 c. plain breadcrumbs 2 T. grated parmesan cheese 3 T. hand packed ricotta 1 T. kosher salt 1 t. ground black pepper D c. water
(Yields 10 2-inch meatballs)
Over medium-low heat, sweat the onion, garlic and celery in the oil until the vegetables are translucent.
Add to a blender with 3 oz. water and blend until smooth. Chill the mixture.
Place the ground meat into a KitchenAid mixing bowl with a dough hook attachment. Add all of the ingredients but hold back the eggs and water. Mix on low speed until everything is well incorporated. You must turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl every 2 minutes to ensure everything is evenly distributed.
Turn the mixer back on and add the eggs in a very slow stream until they are all incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and turn the mixer back on. Add the remaining water and mix for 2 minutes, or until the mixture does not appear to be watery.
Remove the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a refrigerator for at least one hour prior to portioning.
Portion the balls using a 2 oz. ice cream scoop. Dip the
scoop into cold water every couple of balls to ensure the meat does not stick to the scoop.
Roll the balls with wet hands and refrigerate until ready to cook.
To cook, bake in a 350-degree oven until golden brown. Serve or add to your sauce and simmer for an additional 10 minutes before serving.
MEATBALL CHOWDER
4 oz. canola oil 5 oz. smoked bacon, diced 2 lbs. lamb meatballs (cooked and diced) 8 oz. carrots, diced 1 lb. onion, diced 8 oz. celery, diced 3 T. Tan-Tan Moroccan Seasoning 4 oz. tomato paste 4 qt. beef stock 1 T. tabasco sauce 1D lb. red bliss potatoes, diced 1A t. kosher salt 1 t. black pepper 1A oz. corn starch, diluted in 2 oz. water 1 lb. corn 1 lb. peas
(Yields 1A gallons.)
In a heavy-gauge pot over medium-high heat, bring canola oil to the smoking point and add the bacon. Render the bacon until it is 75 percent cooked. Strain the bacon and pour the fat back into the pot. Reserve the bacon for later.
Sear the diced meatballs in the bacon fat until they brown. Remove the meatballs and add half of the fat back into the pot. Add the carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until they just slightly brown on the edges. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the celery and the Moroccan spice and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the celery is translucent.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes while frequently stirring.
Now add the beef stock, rendered bacon, corn and potatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook the soup for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost completely tender.
Add salt and pepper and add the slurry (cornstarch and water paste) while whisking. Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Adjust seasoning and add the frozen peas. Cool the soup and reserve for use.