By: Angelo Biondo
So far I’ve given you a few of the wonderful recipes my grandmother brought with her from the Island of Sicily. It is for that reason I feel she deserves the credit for them. I feel they are her creations, because she neither owned or possibly didn’t know what a measuring cup was. To watch her at work was certainly a masterful skill I’m afraid I must say was an art I couldn’t appreciate in my youthful years.
When my wife and I set up house-keeping on our own, we didn’t go out to dinner much, fast food chains like McDonalds, Burger King, Arthur Treacher’s, were just starting to really get popular and it seems new “fast food” chains were popping up everywhere. Nevertheless we liked home cooked and it was my mother whom I turned to for grandma’s recipe’s after my grandmother passed away in 1964.
My mother is from the old school too. The difference being, she has the measuring cups and spoons – but she doesn’t use them either. So, if you want to learn a recipe from her, you have to watch and hope you get it right. Needless to say in order to put these recipes to paper isn’t easy.
I have taken the time to have pencil and paper handy when making these recipes, along with the proper measuring utensil to measure and note the amounts of herbs and spices used in the recipe. As individual taste vary I suggest you use a similar method when making them. Believe me when I tell you dinner at my mom’s house is a real treat. She still cooks at 92 and hasn’t lost the touch yet. So if you see a recipe called “Momma Biondo’s Eggplant Parmesan” etc., you’ll know where it came from.
This meatball recipe also doubles as a “Ground Beef Braciola” recipe with some a minor variation or two, which is included at the end of the meatball recipe. It is assumed that you are making Spaghetti sauce. You will need to finish the cooking process by simmering the meatballs and/or braciola in the sauce.
What you’ll need:
(for the meatball recipe)
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2 lbs Ground Beef
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1 large onion
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2 or 3 cloves of Garlic
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2 large eggs (I like to use Beta 3 eggs)
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1 cup bread crumbs (preferably Italian seasoned)
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½ cup milk
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½ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
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(or) 2 Tablespoons dried parsley
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1 Tablespoon Oregano (crushed)
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1 teaspoon Salt (I prefer Sea Salt)
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½ teaspoon black pepper (I prefer fresh ground)
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¼ cup Romano or Parmesan Grated Cheese (preferably fresh ground)
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¼ cup Olive Oil, (cooking grade) We use a fairly cheap grade of Olive Oil for cooking and Extra Virgin when used for Salad’s and dipping dishes etc. You can get “Pumas” Olive Oil, for About $14 a gal which is perfectly good for frying foods, and save the $30 gal Extra Virgin for dishes where you need the flavor.
Note: Additional ingrediants for “Ground Beef Braciola” is listed below.
Instructions:
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Place the “Ground Beef” in a suitable bowl to hold all of the ingredients. It is always wise to use a good grade of lean ground beef (we don’t need the fat)
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Using a large skillet, pour in the oil and set heat to low, while you make the meatballs
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Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and add the milk. Beat the mixture with a wire wisp and set aside.
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Chop Onions and Garlic (fine or small pieces)
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Mix all of the dry ingredients together
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Mix the dry ingredients and chopped onion and garlic into the ground beef and mix it together well, add the egg mixture and mix again until everything is well mixed and you are ready to roll into meatballs.
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Using small amounts, enough to roll into meatballs (the size of ping pong balls or a little larger), roll into meatballs and place in hot oil.
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Brown the meatballs rolling them in the skillet until all sides are browned.
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Place in spaghetti sauce and let simmer for 1½ to 2 hours. Serve with your favorite Spaghetti or Pasta.
Hamburg or Ground Beef Braciola:
To make this recipe you simply use the meatball recipe with two (2) additional ingredients. You will need:
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3 or 4 Hard boiled eggs
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1 lb lean bacon
To make the “Ground Beef Braciola”, roll out about a 15” sheet of “Freezer Wrap” or “Waxed Paper” on a flat surface and separate the meatball mixture into 2 or 3 equal portions. Roll out a portion to about a thickness of 3/8″ to 1/2″. Place strips of bacon
diagonally over the rolled out beef mixture, spacing about the width of the bacon. Slice the hardboiled eggs, placing the sliced in the spaces between the bacon again spacing about the width of the diameter of the egg slices.
Next, picking up the edge of the Freezer Wrap, continue to elevate the paper until the rolled out beef starts to roll. Continue to roll the Braciola until it looks like a jelly roll. Pinch the ends together sealing the meat roll and carefully lift and place the Braciola into the skillet of hot oil. Using a spatula for this usually works well.
Repeat the process for as many as you wish to make or use some to make meatballs. Brown the Braciola on all sides and carefully place in the sauce to simmer.
To serve, you simply cut into ¾” to 1” slices and serve with your favorite pasta.
