Basic Meatballs Recipe

Photo Danilo Alfaro Preheat oven to 350F. Cut the bread into cubes and combine it with the milk (or tomato juice) in a bowl. Mash it up until it forms a thick paste. In a heavy dutch oven, saut the onions and garlic in a little bit of oil until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside so that they have a chance to cool. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat with the egg, cheese and parsley. Add the bread mixture and the onion-garlic mixture and combine until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. I find my bare hands are best for this. Gently form the mixture into meatballs about 1 inches in diameter. Don't pack them too tightly. If you make them slightly more oval-shaped rather than perfectly round, browning them will be a bit easier. Heat about cup of vegetable oil in your dutch oven. You'll want about inch of oil in the pan. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs and brown them for about 10 minutes, rolling them around with a pair of tongs so that they brown evenly all around. Remove the meatballs, drain excess oil onto paper towels, and then transfer them to an oven-safe dish. Bake the meatballs in the oven for another 10 minutes or until they are cooked through. Serve with spaghetti and basic tomato pasta sauce . Makes about 15 meatballs. Note: An amazing way to use leftover meatballs is to slice them up and use them as a topping for homemade pizza .