One of my favorite stories that Ed tells from his childhood was when his mom made football shaped meatballs for his birthday. Two things Ed loved – meatballs and football. One of the ways that my mother-in-law, Josephine (Jo) R, demonstrated her love was by making and sharing wonderful food for her family and friends. Most of her recipes were Sicilian and not written down. From an early age, Ed and his sister, LuAnn, learned to cook at their mother’s side.
Jo’s meatballs were made with beef and always fried. That is how Ed made them for years. That is until he came across a recipe in POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts) by Russell Norman for meatballs (Norman refers to them as ‘polpette’ which is Italian for meatballs) made with both pork and beef and instead of frying them, they were baked.
The original recipe called for two parts pork to one part beef. We made a few batches of these – they were good but not quite right. Ed suggested that we switch the ratio – success! Just the right flavor profile. For the most part the POLPO recipe was very similar to what he had learned from his mother – grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic and eggs mixed in with the meat. While I prefer to cook with fresh garlic, garlic powder is preferred for this recipe as it’s easier to spread out among the meatballs.
We had success baking these meatballs rather than frying – a bit healthier and definitely made for a cleaner stovetop. When we renovated our kitchen last year, our new range came with an oven air fryer. This cooks them perfectly with a bit of crunch on the outside so this is now our go-to method.
My contribution to this process? Using a large cookie scoop so the meatballs are uniform. It’s not what my mother-in-law would have done but I think she’d be okay with it.
We serve this with Josephine’s Marinara Sauce (Red Sauce) and pasta or without sauce on top of a dressed romaine lettuce salad. They also freeze well (with sauce or without) and reheat well using a sous vide system (‘under vacuum’ or ‘low temperature for a long time’).
These hit the spot any time of year but particularly when it is cold outside. We made a batch (with sauce) and took it to my brother’s house for a family dinner on Boxing Day (December 26) this year.
| Beef and Pork Meatballs | | Print |
- 2 pounds ground beef (80% lean preferred)
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1-1/4 cups unseasoned bread crumbs (see Notes)
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Adjust the oven rack so it’s in the middle of the oven. Set a rack (such as a cooling rack) over a large baking sheet or sheet pan (see Note). Spray rack with olive oil or avocado oil spray to prevent meatballs from sticking. Set aside. If you need two baking sheets, you can cook both at the same time on the same or different racks.
- Preheat the oven air fryer to 350°F. Move the top oven rack up so it’s in the second highest position. Set a rack (such as a cooling rack) over a large baking sheet or sheet pan (see Notes). Spray rack with olive oil or avocado oil spray to prevent meatballs from sticking. Set aside. If you need two baking sheets, you can cook both at the same time if they both fit on the top rack. If they do not, you should air fry the meatballs in batches. Spray cooking rack for each batch. (See Notes.)
- In a large bowl (larger than you think you need) using your hands, mix beef, pork, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt and black pepper, turning over a few times. Add eggs and continue mixing until well combined.
- Using a ¼ cup cookie scoop or measuring cup, measure out each meatball and form into round balls (about the size of a golf ball) and place on the prepared pan. Continue until all meatballs are done.
- Bake or air fry for 10 minutes in the oven. Flip and bake or air fry for another 10 to 15 minutes. Meatballs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (test using an instant read thermometer).
- Remove from the oven. You can eat them immediately with sauce or on their own. Or let cool and store for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months frozen.
- A batch makes 28 to 30 meatballs. A serving is 3 to 4 meatballs.
* I can fit a full batch of meatballs (28) on one 13 x 18 sheet pan.
* Please follow your oven air fryer’s instructions. Mine recommends placing food closer to the top of the oven.
* Placing the meatballs on a rack on a pan allows them not to cook in their grease.
* We serve this with Josephine’s Marinara Sauce (Red Sauce) and pasta or without sauce on top of a dressed romaine lettuce salad.
* They freeze well (with sauce or without) and reheat well using a sous vide or in a pot.
I’d use this recipe … if it wasn’t just about exactly how I make meatballs without a recipe and learned by observation of my mother, who observed her mother-in-law. Not Sicilian, but close enough in Italy! We add some dried parsley, oregano and basil.
Michele – Ed learned by observation, too. I had to watch him to try to get the measurements down. I’m so glad it’s similar recipe.
I love that you bake them! They sound wonderful. Happy New Year!
David – It’s a game changer for sure. Far more efficient and definitely makes for a cleaner stove area. Happy New Year to you!