Mom’s Meatballs
3 lb chop meat (1 lb beef, 1 lb pork, 1 lb veal or lamb)
3/4 cup of plain bread crumbs
4 oz of whole milk
(mix milk and bread crumbs right before adding to mixture)
3 whole eggs
6 cloves of fresh garlic chopped
3/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoons of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoons of black pepper freshly cracked
3/4 cup pecorino romano cheese grated
3 oz warm water
olive oil (for frying)
In a mixing bowl, place all ingredients except the oil and toss and mix gently with your hands. Do not over mix. You want the ingredients to bind, but not too tightly. Portion out with an ice cream scoop (one with the sliding arm) to speed the process and get uniform sizes so they will all cook evenly. Roll each portion gently with moist hands to form the ball shape.
Over medium high heat place the oil in a frying pan. The oil should be 1/3 up the side of the pan. When oil is nice and hot, begin frying the meatballs. Brown the meat to a deep color on all sides by gently rotating them every few minutes. Don’t over crowd the pan. When each batch is done, place meatballs onto a cooling rack, and soon the meatball sneaking antics will begin.
Notes: Slide meatballs in hot oil with a spoon to avoid splashing. Make a double or triple batch. When they cool, place in freezer bag and freeze for another dinner. When meatballs are taken from the pan to the cooling rack, top them with a pinch of salt. A 2 ounce ice cream scooper yields approximately 30 meatballs.