How To Make Meatballs In 4 Steps

No recipe because you won't need one.

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Meatballs are the kind of thing you really don't need a recipe to make. You do need:

1. Some meat. About a pound of it. (Higher fat is best, but if you're using meat with a lower fat content -- or not dark poultry meat -- you'll need to add a bit of extra seasoning.)

2. Something to bind the meat. (eggs, breadcrumbs, maybe tomato paste)

3. Seasoning (Start with onions and/or shallots, and build from there.)

4. Cheese

1. Cook a small onion or some shallots in oil.

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Once they've softened, let them cool -- they'll be going in your meatballs.

2. Mix everything together.

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So that's meat, cooled onions, maybe a spoonful of tomato paste, a cup of any salty cheese like pecorino, a cup of breadcrumbs, a bit of milk, and an egg. If it feels too wet, add more breadcrumbs and/or cheese. If you have some parsley or oregano and people who don't freak out about green stuff in their meatballs, chop some and add.

3. Shape into balls.

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Use your hands, really — it'll be easier. Make them about the size of two golf balls into one, and keep them uniform so they cook evenly.

4. Cook!

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Refill your frying pan with a enough oil to cover the balls halfway. Heat the oil till it's shimmering. Add the balls one at a time, making sure not to crowd them. (Alternately, you could simmer these in sauce.)

Nudge them around the pan with a spatula from time to time.

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Mostly just to keep them from burning, but also to cook them all the way through. The outsides should look nicely browned -- like this. Test doneness on a sentinel meatball after ten minutes. If it's done, you're done.

Now go make pasta, and eat!

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