The Perfect Meatball

Spaghetti and meatballs was always a staple when I was growing up.  Now there are so many different ways to incorporate meatballs into a recipe, whether as a dinner or appetizer or even a midday snack.  Use the leftovers for lunch to make the ultimate meatball sub!  It is imperative to have the most delicious, moist, and versatile yet simple meatball recipe to make every option the absolute best.  Here we give you The Perfect Meatball.  As served tonight, a simple and quick evening dinner for two over pasta and "the cheaters tomato pasta sauce" (simply, I like to combine a mixture of 1/2 jar of San Marzano's Marinara with 1/2 jar San Marzano's Vodka Sauce to give a nice even balance and add about 1/4 cup extra grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce as it is heating.)  Recipes for home made sauces will follow but this is, as promised, quick and easy!  I included options for either.  Keep in mind, the more moisture and more fat your mixture has, given that we use a very lean ground beef, the more moist the meatball will be in the end.

The Perfect Meatball

1 pound ground sirloin

1/4 pound ground pork

1/2 sweet onion, grated on a zester or finely grated (or 2 Tbsp dried minced onion)

1 large garlic clove, crushed (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt)

1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (freeze dried seaoning by Lighthouse has the best flavor, but as it is more "fluffy" and absorbs more liquid, use 2 Tablespoons of this one)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce (up to 1/4 teaspoon to taste)

1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - this will make you the infamous "Spicy Meatball")

1 Tablespoon Worchester Sauce

1/3 cup whole milk (you can use any milk you have on hand if you do not have whole milk)

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup breadcrumbs*

Combine all ingredients until just well blended by hand.  Roll into desired size balls.  For kids and pizzas I have done these as small as 1/4 inch in diameter.  For pastas, calzones, and other dishes I usually will do about 1 - 2 inches in diameter.  For a treat for the men in the family I have done up to 5 inches in diameter.  Cooking times may vary, but only slightly.

Place on foil lined baking sheet and bake in oven, preheated to 400 degrees, for 20 - 25 minutes.  For the "Mammoth" sized ball, you may need 30 minutes.  Meatballs should be browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.

*For the breadcrumbs I like to keep a batch in the freezer in sealed container.  Buy a loaf of day old rustic Italian or French bread at the store, slice, and chop until finely ground.  This is easily done in a Cusinart or food processor.