Italian Style Meatballs

    Meatballs are the kind of food that brings happiness.  Daily I am asked “What’s for dinner?” and when I reply meatballs and…….it doesn’t matter what the second part is -- the questioner is instantly happy on the word meatballs – “yummmm.” 

    As a child, commercially pressed hamburgers were more common than hand formed meatballs.  Meatballs were part of our special homemade spaghetti sauce dinners where the sauce bubbled all day on the stove top.  Dad would fry them on the stove top versus baking in the oven. My sister reminded me of our father’s perfectly shaped meatballs and his penchant for frying the meatballs, as with many things he cooked, on high and the grease spattering. 

     While I love a tasty meatball, I do not favor all the handwork involved so I have a method that reduces the hand rolling time by using my graduated size cookie scoop to begin the molding process.  I have three sizes of scoops and I most often use the 1 ½ tablespoon middle size but sometimes I like the small (2 teaspoons) size for fun marble size meatballs and rarely do I make the larger size.

     Meatball recipes have many variations – my ideal Italian style meatball is moist, mildly spiced, and compliments mainly a red sauce and must be cooked in the oven.   

Meatballs

Makes around 20 meatballs

1 pound of ground beef

2/3 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup of fresh bread crumbs

¼ cup milk
1/3 cup of finely chopped onions (optional)
1 celery stick finely chopped (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1 teaspoon Italian blend spices or spice mix of your choice – basil is nice

1 egg slightly beaten

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F°.

Combine the ingredients with your hands being careful not to overmix.

Shape into walnut size or larger balls.

Place in baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes or until done. 

Loosen meatballs and drain off accumulated oil.  

Serve with spaghetti and red sauce:

My sister's photo from Northern Italy - a view she saw eating lasagne from a cafe in Brunate.

Brined and Grilled Pork Chops

Grilled pork chops are a great weeknight meal but a problem run into with the pork I buy is that it is so dry and tasteless. I have many fond memories of weeknight meals of delicious pork chops, rice and applesauce for dinner. Brining (and not overcooking) is an easy way to correct the flavor of today's pork chops. This brine is quick, not like the 24 hours for Thanksgiving turkey that I once tried. It takes 45 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator just enough time to prepare the rice pilaf and your vegetable!

Brine
4 pork chops
1 1/2 quarts water
3 tablespoons table salt
3 tablespoons sugar
In a large bowl dissolve sugar and salt in water.
Add pork chops and place in refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from refrigerator and rinse chops and pat dry.
They are now ready for whatever method of cooking you prefer - grilled, baked, pan fried, etc.

Grilled Pork Chops
4 pork chops
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 clove of garlic minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a small bowl mix oil, juice, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper together.
Coat pork chops with mixture and let come to room temperature.
Heat a well cleaned grill keeping once side hotter than the other.
Place chops on hottest part of grill and cook for 5 minutes.
Turn pork chops over moving to the cooler part of the grill and cook for 10 to 20 minutes depending on how hot your grill is and how thick your pork chops are. Cook until internal temperature thermometer registers between 145-150F.
Remove from grill and tent with foil and rest for 10 minutes.