I've added a couple small additions to the original recipe just because that's how I roll. :)
Ingredients for Meatballs (1 lb of meat will yield about 25 medium meatballs)
1-1.5 lbs of lean ground beef (I don't suggest using a different type of meat - I'm kind of a "meatball nazi" - they MUST be beef for traditional Italian meatballs)
1/2 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs - I never measure for these. I go by consistency and smell and the "look" of them.
1 egg
a small handful of grated parmesan cheese or other hard Italian cheese (I'm using Grana Padano) - this is essential. Don't omit it. It makes the delicious brown crust on the meatballs & adds a great nutty flavor.
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
a hearty pinch of kosher salt
a few shakes of red pepper flakes
Put the meat in a large bowl. In the food processor, mince the onion & garlic very finely (not to a soup) or if you feel like chopping, chop away! I like to chop the old fashioned way. Especially when I'm doing a
traditional family recipe like this one. Grammy didn't measure....neither do I.
Take off your watch & rings first...then get your washed hands in there & mix it up! This transfers "the love" into the meatballs. Grammy did it. I swear by it.
Now do the breadcrumbs. You will see what I mean about the consistency. Start with a 1/4 cup and if it's too "wet" just shake in a bit more breadcrumbs until the mixture is firmer, but not more than 1/2 cup of crumbs.
Cook a tester meatball. I often need to add more salt. It's better to undersalt & add more than it is to add too much in the beginning and be up doodoo creek without a paddle. Make sure it gets that nice, rich, brown color on all sides. That's the flava!
Time to test. They are faaaantastic!
Time to fry 'em up! Get a large shallow skillet on medium-medium/high heat. Once it's hot, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and start to roll your meatballs. I use a medium sized scooper so they are all consistent and cook at the same rate. I don't recommend making ginormous meatballs this way. They need to cook too long and will burn on the outside and stay raw in the middle.
Get your pan full of balls. :) Once you get it full, the first ones you added will probably need to be flipped. Keep doing this process until all sides are a deep brown color. That color means FLAVOR! Shake the pan around and let them roll about making sure that all sides are browned and cooked evenly.
You can do whatever you like with these, but tonight we are having meatball sammies!
I like to whip up a quick 5 minute marinara with a clove of garlic, some onion, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, a teeny squirt of honey, salt/pepper and a can of tomato sauce in a little saucepan. Slather a little garlic oil on some fresh bread & pop it in the toaster oven for a few minutes with some mozzarella cheese...top with meatballs and marinara. Oh man. It's guuuuuud. Also fantastic with a slather of pesto on the bread or some cooked sweet peppers.
So, I'm figuring that I paid $2.19 for the pound of 90% lean ground beef (reduced for quick sale at Sam's Club), 10 cents for the onion, 10 cents for the garlic, 20 cents for the breadcrumbs, 8 cents for the egg, maybe 75 cents for the cheese & we'll just say 25 cents for the spices. That comes to $3.67 for the meatballs. Add a couple bucks for a loaf of bread & cheese....and chaaaching! A really authentic & delicious meal that will feed an entire brood for around $7? Not too shabby.
I got 2 thumbs up from both of the boys. Jim even had TWO sandwiches. Jake was begging for more meatballs after I let him try the test meatball. They are THAT good. No other meatball will compare. I have a hard time eating anyone elses meatballs. Really.
Not many leftovers. I'm guessing those will disappear before we go to bed.
2 comments:
Looks tasty! I will have to try the recipe. Thanks for sharing.
You won't be disappointed. I promise :)
Post a Comment