Pork and Beef Italian Meatballs
Create authentic Italian-style meatballs by combining a mixture of pork and beef (the secret to the best meatballs). This recipe uses a traditional technique of stale bread soaked in milk instead of breadcrumbs.
Servings: 8 servings (32 meatballs)
Calories: 555kcal
Equipment
- 1.5 inch (4 cm) scoop
- skillet
- tongs
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed stale bread crust removed
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 pound ground beef (80 lean/20 fat)
- 1 pound ground pork (80 lean/20 fat)
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan
- ¼ cup fresh parsley minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add cubed bread and milk to a mixing bowl and allow to sit for 5 minutes until the bread soaks up the milk.
- In a large mixing bowl add milk soaked bread, ground beef, ground pork, parmesan, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper. Using clean hands, mix until combined. Don't overwork or the meatballs will become tough. Shape into 1.5 inch (4 cm) balls using a scoop.
- Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Once hot, add olive oil. Cook meatballs in batches, rotating until all sides are golden brown, about 10 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F (72°C) with an instant read thermometer. 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.
Notes
Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Reheat: Reheat in a saute pan over medium heat on the stove until heated through.
Freeze: Place cooked meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze just until frozen through, then place in an airtight bag (I like to vacuum-seal mine). Freeze for up to 2+ months. Before eating, allow meatballs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Heat in a saute pan over medium heat on the stove until heated through.
You may want to cover your skillet with a splatter screen to prevent the oil from popping outside of the pan.
If you notice the bread is still hard after soaking in milk, add a splash more milk until the bread has fully softened. If the bread hasn't absorbed all of the milk, you can still add the milk at the bottom of the bowl into the meatball mixture.
Nutrition
Serving: 4meatballs | Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 900mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 4mg
