Porta Mangiare

PREPARE THE MIXTURE

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if you're baking the meatballs, OR,
begin to simmer 1-2 jars of pasta sauce in a large pot if you're browning them on the stove

Step one: empty an entire container of Porta Mangiare meatball mix into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Into the well, crack two eggs and add 3 Tbsps of water or milk. Stir the egg mixture lightly and then, using a fork, mix with the dry ingredients and let it soak for a couple of minutes.

Step two: Add one pound of ground meat to the soaking breadcrumb mixture (If you are using a blend of meats - be sure to mix them together gently before adding them to the other ingredients). Then, sprinkle one and one-third cups of grated Romano cheese over the top. Mix gently; dig right in and use your hands to mix everything evenly. Show me how

TIP: To make meatballs that are light, and not heavy and dense, don't over-mix. About 30 seconds to 1 minute is all you need. Click on the video link on the left to watch how it's done.

Step three: Make golfball size (about 1 and 1/2 inches diameter) meatballs by rolling a palm-full of the mixture between your hands. You should get about 15 meatballs if you've got the right size. It's ok to make them a little larger if you like (be sure to cook them a little longer) but don't make them smaller or they'll dry out. We're not a fan of huge meatballs, but hey, this is your dinner - do what you like!

COOKING THE MEATBALLS

There are two ways to cook your meatballs:

Step 4 - Quick and easy - Baking in the oven.
Prepare a shallow baking sheet (one that has sides) by spraying lightly with cooking spray or by using a sheet of parchment paper. Place the meatballs onto the sheet - they should all fit on one regular sized sheet. Into the oven they go for about 20 -25 minutes. While you don't need to, some folks like to turn them once halfway through.

Step 4 - Traditional Method - Brown on the stovetop.
Once the meatballs are formed, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the meatballs to the pan (you should do them in 2 batches) and brown them on all sides. Remember, you're not cooking them through at this point, just browning. Once they're browned, put them into the simmering sauce and let them cook for 20-30 minutes.

TIP: When browning meatballs, be careful not to break them apart. They will be farily moist when you put them into the frying pan so they'll have a tendancy at first to stick. PATIENCE! If you wait a few extra minutes, the first side will brown nicely and "release" from the pan making turning them easier. Use medium heat at first and then adjust as necessary.

SERVING

No matter which way you cook your meatballs, they'll taste great warmed up in your favorite pasta sauce, and then served Italian style - as a separate course, perhaps along with other meats or American style - over your favorite pasta with a dab of sauce and a sprinkle of cheese!