Nobody is sure where the meatball originated and early recipes are difficult to find. It's easy to ascertain though, that meatballs as we know them, made with ground meat, were not possible until meat grinders were invented. Early meatballs would have been made from leftovers and hand-shredded. Or pounded with a heavy object and minced with primitive tools.
Food history tells us that meat was rare across the world and was enjoyed mostly by the rich. It was precious, so it can be assumed that it was never wasted, and no parts of a cut of meat or the leftovers would have been thrown away. Simply put, meatballs was a way to utilize this extraneous meat and squeeze another days' meal from it, not to mention another days' nutrition.
The type of meat prepared as meatballs was varied and influenced by geography. In China, for example, the mainstay was the pig, so their meatballs were likely made from pork. Similarly, in North Africa the Berber were shepherds of wild sheep whose fatty tales were prized. Whatever the meat, whatever the region, many recipes indicate some form of meatballs across the globe.
Meatballs in Italy
In Italy, meatballs continued to grow in popularity, so much so that Pellegrino Artusi (1820 - 1911) was inclined to write: "Do not think for a moment that I would be so pretentious as to tell you how to make meatballs. This is a dish that everyone knows how to make, including absolute donkeys.” The Italians brought their recipes for polpette (meatballs) to America, each recipe developed within their families through the centuries. The Italians did not serve meatballs with spaghetti, and spaghetti was served alone. The dish spaghetti and meatballs was created to please Americans, who preferred meat served with their pasta.
It was not until the meat grinder was invented that the transition to using fresh ground meat began. A U.S. Patent was issued in 1829 for a crude grinder. A better grinder was recorded in 1845, using rotating cutting blades and a spiral feed.. This allowed, for the first time, an ordinary person to purchase fresh ground meat.
We can imagine butchers at the turn of the century grinding meat to order, while wives waited and exchanged new meatball recipes, contributing to the continuing popularity and variety of the humble meatball.
Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1cup fresh breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
- Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands.
- Using your hands, roll into tight balls about 2” in diameter.
- Fry in a hot iron skillet with the olive oil, quickly searing all sides.
- Place into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Make your sauce.
- Remove meatballs from oven and place into sauce, cover and simmer until flavors are melded, 15 to 30 minutes or until desired. If not making sauce, leave in oven until done, about 45 minutes.
Makes 16 meat balls
Christopher T. Reilly - Hello. I have been a professional writer for 25 years with experience that encompasses articles, essays, websites, Internet content, stage ...
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