JOE'S HOMEMADE ITALIAN MEAT BALLS

The most consistent, and regular meal in an Italian - American home is pasta and meatballs. As a kid growing up in the streets of Brooklyn, on Sunday's you could smell the aroma's of homemade meatballs, from half a block away. Billowing temptations, flowing from opened apartment windows. Each blending with one another, giving you the most incredible appetite, just before you walked into your front door.
The unwritten rule was, you can't have a good Italian Pasta Sauce without an excellent Meatball served with it. (Or at least some other meat, like chicken or sausage.) I should say that was the rule in our house anyway. There were always leftovers too! So you knew that there would be meatball sandwiches in your school lunch at least once that week!
Making and eating pasta and meatballs, in an Italian home, isn't just sitting for 5 minutes and gulping down a meal. It was a ritual, that everyone got involved in. It was an all day affair, and most of the times it was fun, and a way to bring the family together. The sauce would be started in the morning. Kids, would be hand grating cheese, and tasting as they went, of course!
Then the meatball production began. Everyone got to add ingredients and mix the bowl. The delightful part of it all, was rolling each glob of "meat", into beautiful, mouthwatering balls that would eventually turn into your favorite meal. We made airplane meatballs, and dog meatballs, and anything else we could think of. But... somehow, they all turned out round when we sat down to eat.
There was always, crusty Italian bread, and a nice side salad that accompanied it. If you were lucky that day, there might be an antipasto first, just to get you ready for what you knew was coming.
Family members arrived, and pasta/meatball day, was always one to look forward to.
The meal, the enjoyment of conversation, and the constant laughing of children, was the reason for the entire family to spend the day together. But then there were cannoli's and cream puffs later, just in case you had an inch of room left in your belly. (In my opinion, it was the best of times!)
Again, this is my husband Joe's recipe. Passed down from his mother, from her mother, and so on. And, it is what my children will eventually teach their own as well. The meatballs are excellent all by themselves, but... simmered in your homemade sauce for an hour or so, they become angelically sinful!
Transform a day in your house to spend together and collectively cook a meal, that just about everyone will enjoy. Make it a tradition! And... make happy memories.

 

 

Prep Time: 25 min.      Cook Time: Until Browned (about 8 min.)      Servings: 24 meatballs: 12 servings @ 2 ea.

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef. (Or a combination of beef, veal, and pork.)

1 medium to large onion, minced.

11/4+/- cups Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs.

2 eggs, mixed well. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste.

11/2+/- tbsp. Salt.

1 tbsp. Basil.

1 tbsp. Parsley.

1 tsp. Thyme.

1 tsp. Rosemary.

2 cloves of Garlic, minced.

Olive Oil.

 

 Directions:
***After the mixture is ready, divide the ground beef mixture into 4 equal amounts. Now, divide each of THEM into 1/4's. You should be able to get 3 good sized meatballs from each quarter, giving you 24 medium sized meatballs. You can adjust this to your own preference however.

• In a large bowl, add Ground Beef.
• Now, add onions, Bread Crumbs, Eggs, Salt, Spices and Garlic.



• With your hands, (OH YUCK!) mix all ingredients together well.
• When finished mixing well and ingredients are adequately blended, begin to start rolling the meatballs.



• Make meatballs uniform, in whatever size works for you, and set aside.
• Once rolled and ready to brown, add about 3 tbsp.+ Olive Oil to a large fry pan. Add more as needed
• On a medium heat, brown off the meatballs on all sides, turning every few minutes, so they are brown, but not burned. Remember, we are not finished cooking these so it is the outside we are most concerned with at the moment.
• Remove meatballs when browned to a plate, covered with paper towels, to absorb any left over grease.
• Allow them to sit for several minutes, and then add the meatballs to the sauce... mix gently, partially cover, and simmer sauce and meatballs together, on low heat, for about 11/2 hrs., making sure to stir well occasionally. THIS IS WHEN THE MAGIC HAPPENS!
• Once done, remove meatballs with a slotted spoon from the sauce, and place in a serving bowl.
• Use the sauce as intended, and add some to the table, for extra use.
• If you are NOT adding the meatballs to the sauce, allow to cool, and bag for freezing, as noted in  JOE'S HOMEMADE ITALIAN PASTA SAUCE

 

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Now Enjoy!

© 2014 Jayne's Crazy Kitchen