Balls of Meat

In August of 2020 our small southern suburb of Chicago got nailed by a Derecho. Let me guess you haven’t heard of it? I hadn’t either – until that day. It’s a huge line of storms all traveling together that can damage so much in its path and even spin off tornados. Every since that storm, watching one of our huge maple trees fall into the street like a broom falling over, I get uneasy during storms. Just after I finished rolling out these meatballs and cleaning up – the tornado sirens went off. Andy just finished work and we ran to the basement. Our kids were still at school. Bronwyn started texting me asking where I was. We got a call from Nicholas’ school saying they were to “shelter in place”. He sat legs crossed, hands over his head, facing the hallway walls – how terrifying. Once the sirens stopped and we were cleared to get the kids from school, I raced to get them and home. Thankfully we were all safe and we did not have a tornado. But what we did have was comforting meatballs for dinner. Bronwyn wasn’t so thrilled – she’s not a meatball fan.. but Nicholas? He’s ALL about the ball of meat! Once upon a time I would stand on the porch and watch the storms rolling, now? I hold my kids a little tighter and pray for it to pass.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Italian Meatballs
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
2/3 cup milk or beef broth
1 lb ground beef
1/4 medium onion finely diced or grated
2 cloves garlic minced
1 large egg
1 tsp salt or 2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese preferably real Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tbsp fresh parsley or 1 tsp of dried parsley

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
In a large mixing bowl, add Italian bread crumbs and milk. Combine well and set aside while preparing the other ingredients, for at least 5 minutes.
Add ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, salt, black pepper, parmesan cheese, and parsley into the soaked bread crumb mixture, and mix with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix.
Portion onto the prepared baking sheet (using a cookie or ice cream scoop will make it easier). Wet your hands with water, and roll meatballs into 2" diameter balls.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165˚F (74°C). Remove from oven and drain off any excess fat. Serve with your favorite sauce and enjoy!