Deconstructing spicy Italian meatballs
My new adventure begins with the humble, spicy Italian meatball. When made correctly, this delightful nugget of meats, cheeses, and spices is moist, flavorful, and ultimately, almost sensually satisfying. The true test of a great meatball? When it tastes great, with or without any kind of sauce (gravy)!

Each posting begins with the original recipe. It will be followed by my deconstruction, with suggested alternatives.

Jane’s spicy Italian meatballs 

3 lbs. ground chuck
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
3 large eggs
2 c. Panko bread crumbs
1 c. low fat milk
1 medium sized onion and 4 cloves garlic, pureed until liquid
3/4 c. finely grated Italian cheese

 (I make a mix of six: pecorino romano, asiago, parmesan,  fontina, ricotta salada and mozzarella)
8 oz. can tomato paste
2 TB. yellow mustard
2 TB. dry parsley flakes
1 1/2 TB. dry marjoram
1 TB. dry basil
2 tsp. red pepper chili flakes
1 TB. salt
1 tsp. pepper
more salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil to taste

Mix all the wet ingredients together. Add the bread crumbs, cheese, and spices, and blend. Set aside for a half hour. If the resulting mixture is too dry, add more milk until it has the consistency of a thin sauce. If it is too wet, add quick cooking oatmeal or more bread crumbs.

Place the meat in a large bowl, and pour the wet mixture over it. Fold the ingredients together until just mixed. The meat mixture should be wet and sticky, but hold together well when a meatball is formed. Create a small test meatball, fry it up in olive oil, and taste. Adjust the meat mixture for flavor and seasoning, if desired.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Pour about a half cup of olive oil into a bowl. Gently form the meat into balls, approximately 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Dip each meatball in olive oil, and roll it across a plate to shed excess oil. Then place on a baking sheet.

Bake 30-40 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove immediately from the pan and place on paper towels to soak up any extra oil. Serve with a sauce or gravy of your choice. Freeze any leftover meatballs for another meal.

Jane’s deconstructed meatballs
3 lbs. ground chuck
1 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage

>Fat alert: Both ground chuck and Italian sausage are high in fat. If this is a concern, replace the ground chuck with a leaner ground beef, ground turkey or chicken. Replace the ground Italian sausage with a ground turkey or chicken Italian sausage. 

>Ingredient alert: Substituting lower fat ingredients will affect the texture of the meatballs!  To avoid dry meatballs, increase the liquids, such as milk or pureed vegetables, and if necessary, the amount of bread crumbs to hold the extra moisture.  

 3 large eggs

>Health alert:  Many eggs are high in cholesterol.  If this is a concern, replace the eggs with 6 egg whites or a low cholesterol or cholesterol-free egg substitute.

2 c. Panko bread crumbs

>Health alert:  Panko bread crumbs are made with uncrusted white bread, and are generally low in calories.  If carbs, white flour, or bread are concerns in your diet, try substituting whole wheat or whole grain bread crumbs, quinoa, or rice.)

1 c. low fat milk

>Health alert:  If milk of any kind is a problem in your diet, replace it with water, or increase the amount of onion/garlic puree used.

1 medium sized onion and 4 cloves garlic, pureed until liquid
3/4 c. finely grated Italian cheeses, such as parmesan, pecorino, ricotta salada, fontina, asiago, mozzarella, or a mix of these. 

>Fat alert:  Many cheeses are high in fat.  Read the labels and identify what fat content you can live with.  If necessary, substitute a low or no-fat version, or a lower fat cheese.)

2 TB. yellow mustard
2 TB.  dry parsley flakes
1 1/2 TB. dry marjoram
1 TB. dry basil
2  tsp. red chili flakes
1 TB. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Additional salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

(Follow the cooking instructions above.)