Very Good Meatballs

These are very good meatballs. I would call them something else, but that would make me a liar. My spin on the Italian classic is straight forward and easy to make. I even took the simplification of this recipe a step further and used an air fryer for some low effort cooking.

Ingredients

You really only need four ingredients to make a meatball, but this recipe uses 9 ingredients, which I think is a very good amount for Very Good Meatballs.

• Ground Beef- These would just be balls without some meat
• Ground Pork- Usually found near the ground beef and ground turkey
• Panko- Plain or seasoned, these bread bits will keep things light
• Eggs- Our binding agent
• Shallot- A sweet and sharp allium
• Fresh Parsley- Clean, peppery, and Earthy flavors
• Romano Cheese- A bold nutty flavor rounding things out
• Salt and Pepper- Because they make foods taste more like themselves

Variations

You can get pretty wild with meatballs, the sky is really the limit. Beef, pork, chicken, even fish if you really want to. Now, I can’t guarantee that what you dream up will taste good, but I can give you the secret formula to a basic ball.

For every 1 pound of ground meat you have, incorporate a 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, a teaspoon of salt, and 1 egg. From there, you can choose any spices, herbs, or alliums to add. Some folks even like to add 1 tablespoon of ricotta cheese per pound of ground meat.

How to make Very Good Meatballs

Meatballs are very simple to make and they do not require any high level skills or equipment. All you need is a large bowl, your hands, and a way to cook the balls

The first thing you will need to do is prep your fresh ingredients. For this recipe, this will include finely chopping fresh parsley leaves and shallots. You want to take your time and chop these as small as you can to keep the desired texture.

Next, you’ll put all of the ingredients in a big bowl, wash your hands, and roll up your sleeves. It’s time to mix every thing together and the best way to do it is with your hands. Get everything incorporated, but don’t go over board. Over mixing will lead to dense hard balls once they are cooked. Once the meat mixture is incorporated, use your hand or an ice cream scoop to form the meat into 1.5 inch diameter spheres. Set them aside on a baking sheet while you ball their friends.

Cooking is the only thing left. In the recipe below, I suggest air frying the meatballs. I like this method. It produces a crisp exterior, a tender interior, it is hands off, and I own an air fryer that otherwise goes unused. For this recipe, you will air fry the meatballs for 20 min at 375 degrees F, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Alternate Cooking Methods

Don’t let my air fryer fandom get in your way, and don’t let not having an air fryer keep you from making this recipe. You can cook these little balls in a number of ways, just make sure that their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You could try:

• Baking them: 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
• Frying them: Medium high heat to crisp the outside.
• Simmering them in Sauce: This will produce a melt in your mouth texture and is a fan favorite

How to Serve Very Good Meatballs

Meatballs are versatile. Meatballs are a main dish, a side dish, and an appetizer… all at the same time. You can eat them any way your like, whether that is in a sub, a soup, or swimming in red sauce. Serve them up hot and watch everyone enjoy!

Freezing Meatballs

One of the best parts of this Very Good Meatball recipe is that you can make the balls during a meal prep and freeze them before the cooking step of the recipe. I usually make a large batch of meatballs and a large batch of red sauce on the same day, then freeze half for a rainy day. To freeze your meatballs, move your lined baking sheet full of balls to the freezer. After an hour or so, you will be able to handle the balls and move them to a Ziploc bag without the balls combining into one mega ball.