building the perfect meatball

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:     

ITALIAN MEATBALLS

½ lb. ground beef
½ lb. ground Italian sausage
1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
2 each eggs
½ cup Parmesan cheese
6 cloves minced garlic
1 medium diced red onion
1 oz. chopped fresh Italian Parsley
¾ Tbs salt
¾ Tbs black pepper

Directions:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Use a 2-3 oz. ice cream scoop to portion out 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.

  4. 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.

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.

Servings: 6
Preparation time: 15 - 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 - 45 minutes