Mama's Meatballs

Source: http://www.roccodispirito.com

adapted by http://theresalwaysthyme.blogspot.com

1/3 cup chicken stock or water

1/4 yellow onion

1 clove garlic

a handful of fresh parsley, chopped

2 lb ground beef

4 slices white bread (soaked with a little bit water) or breadcrumbs (not soaked)

3 eggs

1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

Marinara sauce (One jar or homemade)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Add the chicken stock, onion, garlic and parsley in a blender and puree.

In a large bowl, mix the stock mixture, meat, soaked bread, eggs, cheese, red pepper flakes and salt. Combine well but don't over mix.

Put a little olive oil on your hands (water on your hands work well, too!) and form a bit of the mixture into balls the size of a golf ball. You can also use a small ice cream scoop. Easy and not messy at all.

Pour about a little olive oil into a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the pan (working in batches if necessary) and brown the meatballs, then turn and brown the other side.

Heat the marinara sauce in a stockpot over medium heat. Lift the meatballs out of the sauté pan with a slotted spoon and put them in the pot with the sauce. Stir gently. Lower heat and simmer for at least one hour (I leave it simmering for a couple hours.)