Originally Posted by
Kooklabell
Look for a recipe that includes milk. That seems to be the key to good Italian meatballs. My BIL owned a restaurant in NYC for over30 years. His chef's recipe includes breadcrumbs, egg, milk, a good beef (not chuck) a bit of onion, parsley and a dash of oregano. Work the mixture with your hands. They should be slightly moist. Make large meat balls. Place on a baking sheet (spray first). Bake for about 30 minutes in a 350 oven. Place in sauce to finish cooking.
This was how Grandma and Mom (and me) made them except the meatballs are braised in the pot you plan on making the spaghetti gravy in (with a little oil at the bottom). Leave the oil and the drippings after removing the meatballs, let it cool, then make the gravy in the same pot. After all the gravy ingredients have come to the first boil the meatballs can go back into the pot.
We also added a bit of either parmesean, romano or fontana cheese to the meatballs.