Beef meatballs with marjoram

Name: Beef meatballs with marjoram
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 3/4 pound ground lean beef; 1 tablespoon butter; 1/2 cup finely chopped onion; 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic; 1 cup cooked rice; 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts; 1 teaspoon dried marjoram; Salt to taste, if desired; Freshly ground pepper to taste; 1/2 cup flour; 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil; 5 cups tomato sauce, approximately (see recipe); 1 pound spaghetti, cooked to the desired degree of doneness

By Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(7)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: FOOD; Back to The Basics

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

¾pound ground lean beef
1tablespoon butter
½cup finely chopped onion
½teaspoon finely minced garlic
1cup cooked rice
¼cup finely chopped parsley
1egg, lightly beaten
¼cup toasted pine nuts
1teaspoon dried marjoram
Salt to taste, if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½cup flour
2 to 4tablespoons olive oil
5cups tomato sauce, approximately (see recipe)
1pound spaghetti, cooked to the desired degree of doneness

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Put the beef in a mixing bowl.
Step 2
Heat the butter in a saucepan, and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is wilted.
Step 3
Add this to the meat. Add the rice, parsley, egg, pine nuts, marjoram, salt and pepper to taste. Blend well with the hands.
Step 4
Shape the mixture into 18 to 24 balls. Dredge the balls in flour and shake off excess.
Step 5
Heat enough oil in a skillet to reach a depth of about oneeighth inch. Add the balls and cook, turning as they brown, until browned all over. Add the balls to the tomato sauce and cook about 30 minutes.
Step 6
Serve with cooked spaghetti.

Ratings

4 out of 5

7 user ratings

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Comments

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Hanna1 year ago

Very good since I like fresh marjoram which is what I used. I used a little over 1 lbs ground beef because that is what I had and adjusted the seasoning. Baked at 400 degrees until they looked done. Much easier and less messy that pan frying

Es6 years ago

These meatballs are okay. I think this recipe would work better with lamb. The mixture was very moist and I didn't think the balls would stay together but rolling them in the flour did the trick. I probably should have put the meat mixture in the refrigerator prior to shaping.

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