They say a mixture of meats makes better meatballs so while I was looking for a pound of ground pork to add to 2 pounds of ground beef, I came across a 1-pound chub of hot Louisiana-style pork sausage.
2 pounds ground beef
1 pound fresh hot Louisiana-style bulk sausage
1 envelope onion soup mix
6 ounces of seasoned bread crumbs (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
Knead ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until everything is evenly blended (I use the knead-fold-turn method, about 50 to 75 turns). Form into meatballs as desired (we like to make 12 quarter-pound-plus meatballs).
. . . . .
At this point, the meatballs can be placed on a cookie sheet and frozen for 1 hour before packing into freezer bags or vacuum sealed bags for long term freezer storage. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before roasting.
. . . . .
Place meatballs in a shallow baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet, place dish in a cold oven. Set the oven for 350 degrees F and roast from a cold start for 45 minutes (don't use the PREHEAT cycle as this will light the upper burner and could scorch the tops). Remove from oven and rest for 15 minutes before adding to sauce or serving.
If desired, use a slotted spoon to collect the pan drippings for your sauce. Too good to go to waste!
And the flavor? Wisps of sausage spice float over the onion soup hamburger foundation and Italian herb notes from the seasoned bread crumbs, ending with a back-of-the-throat tingle instead of a volcanic eruption. The combination of beef and pork tasted more meaty, and the overall experience was like taking a deep breath while walking past side-by-side Italian and Creole restaurants.
2 pounds ground beef
1 pound fresh hot Louisiana-style bulk sausage
1 envelope onion soup mix
6 ounces of seasoned bread crumbs (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
Knead ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until everything is evenly blended (I use the knead-fold-turn method, about 50 to 75 turns). Form into meatballs as desired (we like to make 12 quarter-pound-plus meatballs).
. . . . .
At this point, the meatballs can be placed on a cookie sheet and frozen for 1 hour before packing into freezer bags or vacuum sealed bags for long term freezer storage. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before roasting.
. . . . .
Place meatballs in a shallow baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet, place dish in a cold oven. Set the oven for 350 degrees F and roast from a cold start for 45 minutes (don't use the PREHEAT cycle as this will light the upper burner and could scorch the tops). Remove from oven and rest for 15 minutes before adding to sauce or serving.
If desired, use a slotted spoon to collect the pan drippings for your sauce. Too good to go to waste!
And the flavor? Wisps of sausage spice float over the onion soup hamburger foundation and Italian herb notes from the seasoned bread crumbs, ending with a back-of-the-throat tingle instead of a volcanic eruption. The combination of beef and pork tasted more meaty, and the overall experience was like taking a deep breath while walking past side-by-side Italian and Creole restaurants.
