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Building
the
perfect Meatball |
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I don't believe anyone knows
for certain who rolled the first meatball, it may not even be an Italian
creation. I can imagine some poor mother, desperate to feed her hungry
children, stretching her meager supply of meat by adding ingredients
available to her, eggs, bread, onion, etc.
The Italians seemed to have
perfected the art and properly deserve credit for it. The meatball is a
favorite of kids and adults alike. It has been popularized in song, cartoons
and movies. There must be thousands of versions created throughout the
centuries. Every chef who has experimented with their recipe will claim that
his or hers is the best. Don't be fooled by any of it. My recipe is the best
and I will gladly share it. Here it is:
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Italian Meatballs |
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Ingredients:
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| ½ lb |
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ground beef |
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| ½ lb |
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ground Italian sausage |
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| 1 cup |
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seasoned Italian
breadcrumbs |
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| 2 each |
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eggs |
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½ cup
1 Tbs |
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parmesan cheese |
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| olive oil |
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| 6 cloves |
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minced garlic |
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| 1 medium |
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diced red onion |
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| 1 oz |
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chopped fresh Italian
Parsley |
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| ¾ Tbs |
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salt |
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| ¾ Tbs |
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black pepper |
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Directions: |
| In a sauté pan, coat
bottom of pan with olive oil, canola may be substituted. Add
garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add onion and cook until
translucent and soft. |
| In a large mixing bowl,
add ground beef, ground sausage, mix in cooked garlic and
onions, break eggs in separate bowl so you can be sure there
is no broken shell being added. Add the rest of the
ingredients and mix well until even throughout. |
| Use a 2-3 oz ice cream
scoop to portion out all of meatball mixture and then roll
them. Keep a cup of water near, wetting the hands will make
rolling smoother. Place meatballs side by side in a shallow
cookie sheet or aluminum metal tray. |
| Cook at 350° - 375° for
30 - 45 minutes. Adjust temperature for higher altitude. Your
oven may cook them slower or faster, keep an eye on them.
Usually if there is a brown crust on them, they are ready.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 20 - 30 minutes. |
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Note: If you make a larger amount of meatballs, you
can use what you need, the rest can be portioned out in
freezer bags and kept frozen for future use. |
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| Servings: 6 |
| Yield: 10 - 12 Large Meatballs |
| Cooking time: 1 hour |
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