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The Best Meatballs

SUBMITTED BY: Geanine PHOTO BY: Kreativess

"I never knew how to make good meatballs until I found this recipe. I normally make mine with just ground beef and they still taste great. I've used the combination of pork, beef and veal and they are equally good. Definitely use fresh bread crumbs and freshly grate your cheese instead of using the canned variety...it really does make a difference."
RECIPE RATING:
The reviewer gave this recipe 197 stars. This recipe average a 4.6 star rating.
Read Reviews (178)
PREP TIME  10 Min
COOK TIME  20 Min
READY IN  30 Min

SERVINGS

 (Help)
    
Servings
 

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground veal
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups stale Italian bread, crumbled
  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 1 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
  2. Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold it's shape if rolled into meatballs. (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water). Shape into meatballs.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches. When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)
  4. Place cooked meatballs into Marinara Sauce and cook for 15 more minutes.

FOOTNOTES

  • Wine Tip
  • Try with an Italian red like Barbera or Barbaresco.
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REVIEWS

The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Dec. 8, 2003 by Michelle
Honestly, I was skeptical using water in a meatball recipe, but it was really great! I scaled... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on May 28, 2008 by RookieMom
This is soooo close to my Nonna's authentic Italian recipe! I am telling you, these meatballs... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Dec. 5, 2003 by SurfSkiba
Thank you Geanine! My husband told me that these were absolutely the best meatballs he had... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on May 28, 2008 by PatsyK
They ARE the best meatballs, even though I use all beef most of the time. I don't fry, b/c I... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Dec. 23, 2003 by NANCYALBERICI
This IS the best Italian Meatball recipe ever. My ex-mother-in-law gave me this recipe more... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on May 9, 2008 by Chef MongoLloyd
Good, standard recipe. For a variation, try using ground italian sausage in place of the pork,... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Dec. 5, 2003 by I'm nuts too...
Wow, This is the way that I make my meatballs (recipe from my Mom, not some cookbook), but... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on May 28, 2008 by Dee