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Elvira's meatballs

The secret of Elvira's meatballs was eggs, lots of eggs. If you're concerned about cholesterol don't even bother to go on, although you'll miss out on the best meatballs ever. Most recipes for meatballs call for 1 egg per pound of meat; Elvira used five or six.

ingredients: (for 1 pound of ground round or chuck)

1 pound ground beef
5-6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)
1 tsp. paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp parmigian cheese (optional)
coarse dry bread crumbs from a large loaf of Italian bread, crust removed

Mix the meat and spices and then slowly mix in the eggs. The result should be a very wet paste, too thin to form into anything. Then start adding the bread crumbs. How much depends on the eggs and the humidity and I suspect a lot of other things, but you want a mixture that is still very wet but will just barely hold its shape as a meatball.

Fry a small piece of the mixture in a little oil, taste for salt and correct. Then form the mixture into meatballs (about 2 - 3 inches in diameter) and brown well in oil. Once the meatballs are brown and firm, drain on paper towels. Add to tomato sauce and simmer for 1 hour.

Elvira froze her meatballs after they had been browned and drained but before they were cooked in the sauce. I freeze them the same way, loose, in plastic bags holding 8-12 meatballs each. That way, whenever I get the urge for a meatball sandwich I can pop a few out, defrost them, cook them in a little sauce and I'm all set.

Elvira Moffo Kendig:
1910-1996

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