Recipe for Italian Meat Balls

Recipe for Italian Meat Balls

Make meat balls like nobody else.

Ingredients

3-lbs of meat (I use one pound each of ground extra lean beef, veal, and pork)

            NOTE:  You can use only two of these if you want; but, you have to include the ground beef – that’s what gives it flavor.  Veal has no flavor – it tastes like whatever it is mixed with.  And to taste the pork, you will have to have pretty sharp taste buds.  Believe me, make sure you use beef with something else.

Onion???  NO ONIONS!!!  We are not making hamburgers.  We are making Italian meat balls.

Seasoning – basil and oregano (liberal amounts, to your taste)  Some Italians use nutmeg – depends on what region of Italy they came from – I do not.

Salt and pepper???  Same amount as onions.  We are not making hamburgers.  We are making Italian meat balls.

garlic – chopped.  I use three good sized cloves of garlic for each pound of meat.  [I like GARLIC!]  So that would be nine cloves of garlic for this recipe.

celery – [Very important for texture and taste.  Not everybody does this.]  Chop in small pieces two to four stalks of celery.

parsley (chopped) – if you want (but don’t skip the celery)
Basil and oregano to your taste.

A binder – I do not use eggs (but you can).  I wet the bread crumbs – see below.

[for binder]  bread crumbs – liberal amount  Soak in heavy cream.  If that is too rich for you try milk or water.  It is important to wet the bread crumbs, for a light texture.  After soaking, drain by squeezing out the wetness.

[for binder] imported cheese (grated) – use same amount as bread crumbs – even more if you want (needed for flavoring).  I use Locatelli romano (very expensive but worth it).  Locatelli is a brand name.  Its romano is pecorino, a sheep’s cheese.  It has a strong flavor – salty to some.  It is expensive.  My grandmother passed instructions down to everybody in the family, and anybody who married into the family – you better use Locatelli romano.  My grandparents were poor immigrants.  My grandmother used Locatelli romano right through the Great Depression. (I don’t think it ever ended in her small village.)  I’ve been out of work for four years now and I still use Locatelli romano.  You think I’mma gonna messa with Nonna? You, on the other hand, can substitute reggiano parmigiano – the best and very, very expensive.

Extra virgin olive oil for frying (I am not going to say Italian because not all Italian olive oils have olives that come from Italy.  Greek extra virgin olive oil is great.  And there are very good California products also.)  [Nonna saida noting bout olive oil excepta usea extra virgin.]

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix very well.

Makes approximately 15 meat balls.

Fry in a cast iron skillet in the olive oil.  Brown and turn on all sides.  Drain on paper towels.

Add to tomato sauce.  (I’m not giving recipe for tomato sauce.  Mine is my own and not that Italian.  You can do at least as well as me.)

Served with spaghetti.  To borrow a saying from the Chinese:  Long noodles, Long life.

What?  You were expecting a picture of a Meat Ball?