A meatball is ground meat rolled into a ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, minced onion, eggs, butter, and seasoning. Meatballs are cooked by frying, baking, steaming, or braising in sauce. In the video below, we cook our meatballs on a Blackstone Griddle. There are many types of meatballs using different types of meats and spices. That being said I think my meatballs are the best, and with this recipe I invite you to test them for yourself!
History
The history of meatballs is largely unknown, but it’s believed that they originated from a Persian dish called kofta. Kofta is a mixture of minced meat and rice, bulgur, or mashed lentils that are rolled into cylinders. The Persians passed kofta to the Arabs, who altered the recipe and rolled it into orange-sized balls.
Other variations of meatballs began appearing in China around 200 BC. They didn’t appear in the United States until the mid 1800s.
The dish “spaghetti and meatballs” is not actually Italian. It was invented by Italian immigrants who came to America, primarily to New York City, from 1880 to 1920. They made meatballs using affordable ground beef and ate larger portions than they had back home.
Meatballs are a simple and affordable dish, which may be why they are a common dish in many cultures, including:
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- Italy: Basic Italian meatballs
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- Sweden: Swedish meatballs
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- Turkey: Turkish kofte
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- Denmark: Pork frikadeller
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- Japan: Chicken tsukune
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- China: Lion’s head meatballs
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- Brazil: Almôndegas, which are usually served with tomato sauce and pasta
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- South Africa: Skilpedjies
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- India: Kofte
The Recipe
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1/2 lb ground veal
- 2 cloves garlic chopped fine
- 1 small onion minced
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix.
Place in refrigerator for 1/2 hour.
Shape meatballs to the size of your liking. (Just remember the bigger you make them the longer it will take cook).
Fry on a medium heat on Blackstone Griddle or stove top until lightly browned.
Place in sauce and cook on low heat for at least 1 hour.
Yields about 25 meatballs.
Serve over your favorite pasta or on bread with fresh mozzarella.
Buon Appitito!
What are your thoughts on our meatball recipe? Share them with us below!