sage meatballs

For best results, combine all ingredients and refrigerate for up to a day to allow flavors to combine. The most important thing to remember with meatballs (or any ground meat, actually) is to mix it as little as possible: the more you mix ground meat, the tougher it becomes. Roll these into large balls and serve with pasta or skewer with a toothpick and serve as an appetizer. Or, roll into balls the size of an olive, coat in breadcrumbs, and deep fry. Serve with toothpicks and marinara for an appetizer.

makes 16 large or 32 small meatballs

2/3 lb ground chuck
1/3 lb ground pork
1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup whole milk or half-and-half
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (plus 2 cups if making small fried meatballs)
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped, or 1 tbsp dried sage
4 dashes worcestershire sauce
4 dashes hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil, for frying
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce

Combine first 9 ingredients (mixing as little as possible) and allow flavors to combine at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. Form meat mixture into balls.

For large meatballs: heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large saucepan. In a separage pan, heat 1 jar tomato sauce. When oil is hot, add meatballs to pan and fry, turning as needed for even browning. When brown on all sides, place meatballs into tomato sauce to finish cooking.

For small meatballs: add enough olive oil (or canola oil, if preferred) in a large saucepan to make 1 inch of oil. Form meat mixture into small, olive sized balls. Place 2 cups breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and add meatballs. Shake dish until meatballs are evenly coated. Heat oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot (a drop of water placed in oil crackles), place meatballs into oil and fry until deep brown. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Serve with toothpicks and tomato sauce, for dipping.