Papa Skinner's Italian Meatballs

By teachskinner

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Ground Beef (Round)
• 1.5 lb Ground Pork (Shoulder/Butt)
• .5 lb fatty bacon
• 1 cup fine grated Parmesian
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1/2 Onion (diced fine)
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 Tbsp dried Basil
• 1 Tbsp dried Parsley
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp ground red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs

Details

Servings 32
Preparation time 120mins
Cooking time 140mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
(I prefer to grind my own meat: slice meats into 1-inch cubes, add to grinder. Make sure meats are very cold to maximize grinder efficiency and grind at low speed.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, ground round, bacon, onion, cheese, eggs, basil, oregano, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs. Using your hands, mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Use immediately or place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours. (I recommend chilling mixture for several hours to firm up fats/juices making shaping easier)
Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1.5-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds.
Place meatballs on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.