Italian Meatballs

Meatballs are an Italian delicacy popular in places like New York such as Brooklyn, Staten Island, etc. However, many meat-like recipes similar to meatballs originated in Ancient Rome. Because New York City had access to more meat than Italy, the idea of meatballs became more popular amongst the Italian immigrants living there and the idea of meatballs was distinctly born in the New York areas. This is not to say it isn't an Italian dish. It's just considered more of an American-Italian recipe. It is enjoyed by most Italians here in America and is a staple for Sunday dinners. It can be a meal on its own, served with pasta or even topped on a salad.




Recipe


Ingredients

1 Ib. ground pork
1 Ib. ground veal
1 egg
1 shallot, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 handful fresh parsley, about 1 cup, finely chopped
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs (alternately, you can make your own breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt
Olive Oil
Use Italian Marinara Sauce for this recipe.


Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the meat, egg, shallot, garlic, parsley, pinch of salt, and 1/3 cup of cheese and 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs. Mix until barely combined, then add another 1/3 of the cheese and 1/4 of the breadcrumbs. Repeat mixing and adding the ingredients one more time. If the mixture seems pretty wet, then you may need to add more of the breadcrumbs. If it doesn't seem wet, don't add them. You can save them for a different recipe.

2.  Roll your meatballs into whichever size you prefer. Golf ball sized are usually the most popular.

3. At this time, you can use the marinara sauce recipe and bring that up to a simmer in a pot, covered.

4. While the sauce is cooking, heat a large skillet with olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat, then add your meatballs. This is to brown them. It gives a nice crust on the outside. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, turning them over.

5. Once cooked, add the meatballs to your sauce to finish the cooking process. Allow them to simmer for 10-15 minutes. During that time, you can boil your pasta if serving that with the meatballs.



Serves 5 people.






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