Recipe: Meat Balls

Recipes title

Meat Balls

(for more meatball recipes, please visit The Global Meatball)

Recipe By: Fonds de Cuisine
Serving Size: 7—9
Preparation Time: 1:00
Categories: Meat, Beef

3 lb Beef Ground 75% lean
1/2 cup onion—finely chopped
4 cloves garlic clove—finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups bread crumbs, seasoned—Italian
1 cup water

1. Mix the chopped onion, garlic and bread crumbs and seasonings in a bowl. Add enough water or milk to completely soak the bread crumbs. They should be a loose sloppy mixture. (Use about 4 slices stale bread—ends are OK)

2. Add the meat and mix well.

3. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop out the meat balls, rounded, onto a tray. A #12 scoop gives 18 large meatballs. Large meat balls go two to the portion. My granddaughter, age 3, ate three of them last night, so if you have any big eaters coming, figure accordingly. On the other hand, my meatballs are her favorite.

4. Roast the meatballs at 400 F until the first sign of brown. Turn off oven and let sit in the closed oven 15 min.

5. Dump the meatballs and the juice on the pan into the pot of sauce and simmer for 30 minutes more. Tilt the pot and remove as much of the grease as rises to the surface as you can.

6. Don't forget the grated cheese and garlic bread! I like Locatelli Parmegiano Reggiano

nb. You can use 2 lb. Of beef and 1 lb ground turkey. This will reduce the fat content of the meat balls and they will still be very good as most ground beef has a lot of fat anyway. As a matter of fact, I prefer fattier ground beef. The grease cooks off and you can remove it, but the fatty tissue remains in the meat ball, keeping it moist. Beef and pork is my favorite, but ground pork can be hard to find.

nb#2. No, I didn't forget the egg! I never use eggs in my meatballs, and I never have any complaints. For a softer meatball, increase the bread crumbs, firmer...decrease them. This recipe is about as soft as I like them.

nb#3 For meat loaf, just divide in two portions. Wet a cotton kitchen towel and place half the mix in the center. Hold the towel ends in either hand and twirl. The towel will surround and compress the mix into a loaf shape. Bang the towel against the table to compact the mix and turn it out. Bake at 350 F until a meat thermometer registers 170 F and let rest 5 min. before slicing. It slices even better cold, and reheats well in gravy, and makes a great sandwich.

Suggested Wine: beer

Notes: This is an all American favorite. My grandchildren love these meat balls, as does my brother in-law, who is hard to please.