Alfredo’s Signature Meatballs

Submitted by duonyte

"Featured on a local news show. Italian Village is a 90 year old institution in Chicago. I made only one-third of the recipe, which made plenty to eat and freeze. I baked some as instructed, but cooked most of them in the slow cooker. Times are estimated, I was a bit distracted."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 9
• Yields: 40 6 oz. meatballs

ingredients

• 10 lbs ground beef
• 3 lbs ground pork
• 15 eggs, Grade A
• 1 1⁄2 lbs parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 loaf stale Italian bread (1 lb. loaf, soaked in water)
• 1⁄2 lb fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup salt
• 1⁄4 cup black pepper

directions

1. If you are starting out with a fresh loaf, cut off the crusts before letting it get stale. I soaked in milk instead of water. Squeeze out excess liquid and work it to a paste with your hands, making sure there are no hard or large lumps.
2. Preheat oven to 450 deg. F. Put all ingredients into a very large bowl or roasting pan and mix thoroughly with your hands, until everything is evenly incorporated.
3. Form into large balls. I took as much meat as fit comfortably inbetween my palms. The recipe said to make as large as a small baseball. I'm not sure how big that is, I think mine were like tennis balls. One-third of the recipe made 16 meatballs for me.
4. Place on a rimmed baking sheet which has been coated with oil or with parchment paper - the cheese will stick to the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.
5. Alternative cooking method: I cook meatballs in the slow cooker. They don't brown, but I don't care, since they will be covered with sauce. I use a liner for cleanup ease Just place the meatballs in the crockpot, layering them on top of one another. Don't worry, they won't turn into a giant meatloaf. I used a 5 qt slow cooker and it was nearly full. Cook on Low - mine took about four hours. Remember that time depends on how large and how full your crockpot is. If it's nearly full, it will take longer. Less than half full will cook much more quickly.