It is my grandmother’s recipe and the pictures are enough to conjure up the best memories. We visited my wonderful grandmother, who lived two hours away, a few times a month. She would make a big batch of these and keep them warm in her oven in the basement. The delicious smell alone brings me back to being a small kid, sneaking downstairs to get meatballs before it was time for lunch. It was equal parts my grandmother and my mother who instilled my love of feeding people in me. This recipe, my grandmother’s recipe, is filled with her endless love. It is the absolute best and the reviews on it back that claim up perfectly. It was a few years after posting this that a reader, Shalene, told me why water works better than milk. When bread is soaked in liquid, it releases gluten. The gluten wants to bond to a protein. When soaked in water the gluten bonds with the protein in the meat, keeping the flavors in the meatball. When soaked in milk, it bonds with the protein in the milk instead, and less of the flavorful proteins and fats are held on to throughout the cooking. This changes the final flavors of the meatball. If all that was too much, trust grandma and use water and simple Italian bread. If you are only able to find a 1 pound package of ground pork, divide it in half and freeze the other half. It will freeze well for up to three months. Though I bet you will make these again sooner than that. You can see all of the cooking methods in the video in this post.
Cooking Method One
Pro: It is clean, easy, and a little healthier than the other two methods. Con: You don’t get those crispy outside edges and things that are deep fried often taste better. Con: You have a two step process. Con: It is very easy to over cook the outside while trying to get them cooked enough on the inside.
My Italian Chopped Salad, has flavors that would compliment this well, and it’s very easy to make.We almost always have Roasted Broccoli when we have meatballs.Our family loves this Garlic Bread so much, and it is super simple.
If you make this meatball recipe, I would be honored if you came back and let me know what you think. It’s such a treasured recipe.
