Best, Fast, Easy- Italian Style Meatball

History

Thoughts

My wife is half italian.  Like known mafiosos in the family history Italian.  Like grandmas that passed down recipes Italian.  My mother-in-law is Italian through marriage.  She learned to make spaghetti and meatballs from her grandmother-in-law.  The first time I went home to meet the parents, mom-in-law made spaghetti and meatballs to accompany the usual Thanksgiving spread.  You may think that I am relating this story to accomplish 1 of 2 things.  I am either going to mark this as the moment that I thought, “I am going to marry this woman.” (Not the motherinlaw).  That, however, is not what I am doing, nor is it true.  You may also see this as me trying to establish authority to convey my recipe by connecting my knowledge to Old Country mysticism.  I am not doing that either.  My recipes are ideas from other places and my own experimentation.  I am relating this story because it was really cool.  

Now, it may have been a moment that accelerated the deterioration of my foundational adherence to the rigidity of holiday traditions but that was already a cartoon snowball rolling down an alpine slope toward the cabin of my perspective.  Traditions come from what is good.  Traditions change.  New traditions become traditions because we like them.  I like spaghetti and meatballs and with some errant gravy soaked Thanksgiving stuffing?  Change can be great.  Bring on the curry and mashed potatoes.  Peking duck on the plate, yes.  Spicy rice and beans with a few cranberries stowing away sounds amazing.  I love food.  Food is better when it when it drops its keys in the bowl by the door and heads for the bar.  Let’s get weird. 

So, meatballs are good.  And meatballs are easy.  So, make some freakin’ meatballs.  Meatballs are a ratio thing.  1 pound ground meat*, 1 large egg, ½ cup  bread crumbs.  It once again comes down to taste.  I add a bit more bread crumb.  The cool thing about this ratio, is that it creates a base for your creativity.  I will share a few recipes that I make but the options are endless.  Choose your flavor base and experiment.  The more. you make the easier it is to adapt to whatever your purpose.

*You can use any ground meat.  They all make meatballs.  You can combine ground meats, many do.  The world is your oyster.  I would hesitate to make to use oyster meat but I’d sure as hell try one if someone I trusted told me it was good.  


Ingredients

  • 1 Lb. Ground beef, I like 90-10 because I add olive oil

  • 1 large egg

  • ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs

  • 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp pepper

  • 1 cup grated parmesan

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. 

  1. Pull out a half sheet pan and line it  with parchment paper. 

  2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium low heat.  

  3. Add minced garlic and cook until soft.  STIR CONSTANTLY.  You do not want the garlic to burn and you just want to cook it through.  I don’t like raw garlic and it is bad in meatballs. This will take 3-5 minutes.  If the oil is too hot it will happen faster.  If it gets a little browned, that’s ok.  Get the pan off the heat and continue to stir to cool it.  If burns, meaning you see any black, start over.  Burned garlic is evil.  It can not be saved and will contaminate anything it touches.  

  4. Take the garlic off heat and let it cool. It will continue to cook after it is of the heat.  So, a little early is better than a little late.  HOw will you know when it is ready?  Taste it if the raw, spicy bitterness is gone it is or faint, it is ready.  Remember this is going into the meatballs and will cook more, under done is fine and burned garlic is evil.  Don’t wash the pan yet.  

  5. In a bowl or food processor combine bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic and oil.  It should taste too salty.  Remember you can always add but never subtract salt.  Until you get the recipe dialed in for your preferences, wait to add salt until step 8.    Remember, this is where the salt for your meatballs comes from and you can’t taste the raw meat mixture.

  6. Add the egg and ground meat and combine thoroughly.   Look to break up the ground meat texture. The breadcrumbs will retain moisture so you don’t  need the same pockets to capture juice that you would want with a burger. I have a package of nitrile kitchen gloves for this and other tasks in my kitchen.  You should too.  It makes meatballing so much more pleasant.   

  7. If you are concerned with the level of seasoning (salt and pepper)  Make a small patty and cook it in the garlic pan.  Once it is cooked you can taste it.  Not salty enough?  Add salt.  

  8. Once you are satisfied with the seasoning, begin ballin.  Grab a chunk of the meatball mixture about the size of a loosely formed fist.  I scoop it like my hand is an ice cream scoop.  Then roll it gently between hands to for a ball.  It doesn’t need to be perfect but don’t squeeze it. The tiger it is packed the denser it will be. I make meatballs about the size of a golfball.  That is bigger than my mother-in-law and smaller than most restaurants.  Choose your own adventure. 

  9.  As you make them line them up on the sheet tray.  I can usually get 8 the long way and 5 the short way on the sheet pan but that number will vary depending on the size.  Make sure there is soe space between them to ensure consistent cooking and more even browning.   

  10. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.  Use a probe thermometer to check that they have reached an internal temperature of 160.  This is what I use for the golf ball sized balls I make.  If I’m going to continue to cook them in sauce I pull them at 12 minutes and transfer them to the sauce.