Beef

My Grandmother's MeatballsĀ 2.0

by:
August 12, 2010
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

When I was a kid I loved watching my Italian grandmother stand over the stove making her amazing meatballs. She'd always give me the first one out the frying pan. This is a subtle mash-up of her recipe and some others i've tried over the years. The bread mixture was inspired by a Cook's Illustrated recipe a few years back. —LizC

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Ingredients
  • 1/3 pound Ground chuck
  • 1/3 pound Ground veal
  • 1/3 pound Ground pork
  • 1/4 cup Chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup Grated parmigiana
  • 1 Clove finely chopped garlic
  • 4 tablespoons Flour
  • Olive or canola oil for frying
  • 2 Slices firm sandwich bread, crusts removed
  • 2 tablespoons Plain yogurt thinned with 1 tablespoon milk
Directions
  1. Tear the bread into small pieces and combine with the thinned yogurt. Mash it all together with a fork until the bread is moist.
  2. Combine beef, veal, pork, parsley, cheese, garlic and bread mixture in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Lightly beat the egg, add it to the bowl and mix with the other ingredients.
  4. Form the meat mixture into two-inch meatballs.
  5. Place the flour on your work surface. Quickly roll each meatball through the flour, then roll it in between your hands until the meatball is very lightly coated with flour.
  6. Place the meatballs in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
  7. Heat oil to medium-high. Brown each meatball on all sides. Do not cook all the way through
  8. Drop the meatballs in your favorite marinara, simmer for ten minutes and bring on the spaghetti.
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2 Reviews

lapadia August 14, 2010
Another tweaked "grandma" recipe (mine is too), aren't they the best? I have never tried yogurt to soak the bread, hmmm, does the meatball get a little tang, I shall look through my Cook's I have a tall stack of them from way back! Thanks for sharing.
LizC August 15, 2010
Cook's was actually buttermilk, but since I usually don't have that around, I fudge it with yogurt. And yes, it gives it a little bit of tang. Keeps them tender, too.