Highmade Meatballs

(makes 23-24 quarter cup-sized meatballs)

4 slices white bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces

1 C buttermilk

1 ½ pounds ground chuck (80/20)

½ pound ground pork

3 slices prosciutto, finely chopped

½ C grated parmesan

1/3 C parsley, finely chopped

2 egg yolks

2 T garlic, finely minced

2 t salt

1 ½ t black pepper

Place bread pieces in a bowl and add buttermilk. Make sure all pieces are coated. While bread is soaking, combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Once bread has soaked up buttermilk, add it to the meat mix. Get your hands dirty. Work the mixture until it is well combined. Using a ¼ C ice cream scoop, portion out meat mixture and loosely form them into balls. A ¼ C measure works well too. Place meatballs on a wire rack that has been placed over a cookie sheet. Make sure the wire rack has been sprayed well with non-stick spray. Allow a little room between the balls. Place them into a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, rotate and bake for an additional 10 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before you remove them to a paper towel-lined sheet pan for complete cooling. (They can stick a bit to the rack if you let them cool all the way.) At this point, they can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator for use later. For serving, warm them in the chunky marinara sauce until heated through. Meatballs can be cooked on the stove top and browned in a skillet with vegetable oil. I find the baking method easier and definitely less messy. Not a fan of frying in the house.