Italian Meatballs

The recipe is derived from Chef John's Italian Meatballs.

  • 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

  • 1/2 cup milk

Soak breadcrumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 onion, diced

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 pound ground pork

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/4 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning

  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Mix beef and pork in a large bowl. Stir onions, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into the meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.

Some recipes use equal portions of beef, goat, buffalo veal, or pork, which is also nice. These days you can find all sorts of lean-to-fat ratios for ground beef. Most stores sell 90% lean and 10% fat, but you need some fat in the mixture, so an 80% lean, 20% fat ratio seems to work best for this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

OR

Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper. This makes for easier cleanup/removal from the pan.

Using wet hands, form the meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto a prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through 15 to 20 minutes.

Once cooked, you can add the meatballs to your favorite prepared tomato sauce!