Meatballs

I don't know about you, but I LOVE meatballs!  Since the time I began living on my own, I've been searching for the perfect meatball recipe.  I don't recall my dad ever making them.  That job was reserved for my grandma!  I don't mind admitting that they were AWESOME!  They were so big, they'd take up half of my plate!  I have yet to find a recipe that comes close to Grandma Millie's, but I did find one that I think I can live with.  This recipe comes from Lidia's Italian American Kitchen cookbook!

Here is the recipe as it appears in Lidia's book, however, I changed it up a bit according to the ingredients that I had on hand.

The recipe called for 1/2 pound of ground beef and 1/2 pound of ground pork.  I didn't have any ground pork so I just used beef.  Forget the extra lean stuff as you really need some fat in the meat for flavor and to help keep it moist.  Try not to over mix as this will make your meatballs tough. 

I also didn't have any Italian parsley, but I did have some fresh basil so I used that instead.  My breadcrumbs were not fresh, they were the seasoned kind from a can.  The recipe calls for one cup of the breadcrumbs, but I only used about 1/2 of a cup.  If you use too much of the seasoned crumbs from the can, the meatballs can become too dense and too mealy. 

This may seem strange to you, but, I weigh my meatballs.  I like all of them to be the same size.  I use my Weight Watchers scale...it works great.  These wonderful meat morsels are 1.2 oz each.  The last one was slightly more.

Lidia's recipe calls for a light dusting of flour, just enough to allow a slight crust when frying them up!  The last time I made these, I skipped this step and was sorry later on.  Trust me on this one!

Browning these little guys can be time consuming.  But they are so worth it.  Take your time.  Keep the burner on medium.  Once a crust has formed, gently turn them over.  Continue turning them until they are browned on all sides.  Drain them for a couple of minutes on paper towels before adding them to the sauce.



I know I've mentioned before about how much I LOVE San Marzano tomatoes, so I won't spend a lot of time talking about it again, BUT, if you can buy them (they are also sold under the brand name Cento), please use them, it makes all the difference in the world!

Since these are whole, I pour the tomatoes into a bowl and squish them by hand.  Then, I simply add the meatballs, the tomatoes, and 1/2 cup of red wine to a sauce pan and cover.  I bring it to a boil and then lower it to a simmer for about 35 minutes.  Stir it every few minutes so nothing sticks.

Amelia and Olivia had a friend over for a play date today.  She stayed for dinner and had TWO helpings!

I don't often make these during the week because of the time they take, but I really enjoy doing it for our Sunday dinners!  It reminds me of when I was young.

Enjoy!