Jinny’s Basic Meatball Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (or mix of ground meats)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup milk or cream
- 1 small onion, chopped very fine
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
Directions:
- Mix ingredients by hand until evenly incorporated, but don’t overmix. When forming the meatballs, roll them lightly between your hands. You want them to be light and airy, not dense and tough.
- Meatballs can be browned in oil in a skillet for more flavor, browned in the oven on a baking sheet for less fat, or dropped raw into hot soup or sauce.
Chef’s Note: I like to use a mix of ground beef, pork, and veal. Turkey or chicken can be substituted for the veal and bison or venison can be substituted for the beef. For Italian meatballs, add ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Additional herbs and spices can be added according to your own taste.
Here are some tasty ideas for using meatballs in a variety of ways. Note the slightly different meat mixtures in each one, including the meatless version from Mario Batali. Now get in the kitchen and make some magic!
