Pork and Beef Italian Meatballs

I learned how to make authentic Italian meatballs while going to culinary school in Italy. And I have to say, once you try your hand at homemade meatballs, you'll never go back to the store-bought version...they're that good!

This recipe uses a few traditional techniques, like soaking stale bread as a binder and mixing ground pork and beef. These techniques are common in many Italian homes becuase they encourage a low waste kitchen.

Be sure to pair these meatballs with a delicious tomato sauce or your favorite pasta, like spicy vodka rigatoni.

Ingredients You Need

• Stale bread: Almost any type of old, stale bread will work, just make sure to cut off the crust as it can become too chewy in the meatballs.
• Milk: I prefer whole milk, but use what you have on hand.
• Ground beef and pork: I like to buy an 80/20 mixture for the ground meat. Having some fat in the meat is important for flavorful meatballs.
• Parmesan: Adds an extra boost of salty, umami flavor.
• Parsley: I prefer fresh parsley, but dried will also work.
• Egg: This helps bind the meatballs together.
• Morton kosher salt/black pepper: It's important to season the ground meat to enhance the flavor of the meatballs.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Although many people say you shouldn't use olive oil for high heat cooking, it's perfectly safe for pan frying.

How To Make This Recipe

1. The first step is soaking the cubed bread in milk. Allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes, until all of the milk has soaked up. If you notice the bread is still hard after soaking in milk, add a splash more milk until the bread has fully softened.

2. Next, combine the soaked bread with the ground beef, ground pork, parmesan, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper. You can wear gloves or just use clean hands to mix everything together.

3. Shape the meat into 1.5 inch (4 cm) balls. I like using a cookie scoop for this step.

4. Finally, cook the meatballs in a hot skillet with olive oil. You'll need to rotate the meatballs throughout the cooking process until all sides are golden brown.

Double check that the inside of the meatball is fully cooked with an instant read thermometer. They should reach an internal temperature of 160°F (72°C), then carry-over cooking will bring them up to the final safe temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Expert Tips

• Turn down the heat as needed to prevent the oil from popping or if you notice the outside of the meatballs are done before the inside is fully cooked. This will prevent the outside from getting too dark and crispy.
• You may want to cover your skillet with a splatter screen to prevent the oil from popping outside of the pan.
• For a pretty presentation, serve the meatballs with your favorite tomato sauce, topped with more parsley and parmesan cheese.