Mother's Meatballs

Meatballs at tea time? Why not.

Make them small enough and they make great figure food. Well, perhaps in this case you would want a toothpick or fork. They are a wee bit messy. But, messy in the best possible way: delicious messy.

There's is no super secret method or ingredient in my mom's meatballs. Oatmeal is the key here. Rolled oats give a bit of a nutty flavor, but not enough to interfere with the meat, but most importantly it retains the moisture in the balls, keeping them juicy. What I also love about them is how simple they are to make and how they can be adapted for any recipe or dish.

We opted for slathering them in BBQ sauce. Because tea and toast just is't complete without figure licking and a wet towel. Right?

Mom's Meatballs

1lb ground beef (or any other ground meat)

1/4 cup of old fashioned rolled oats

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp any dried herb of your liking (or tbsp of fresh herbs)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp worcestershire sauce (optional)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup BBQ sauce (store bought or homemade) 

In a medium bowl, combine beef, oats, garlic powder, herbs, salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Mix with hands or a spoon until just combined. DO NOT over work the meat or else it will become tough when cooked. Slightly wetting hands with water, start forming small balls about 1-2 inches in diameter or however big or small you desire. Set aside.

Heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Once the pan is heated, start placing meatballs into pan and cook until all sides of meatballs are browned and caramelized. Add BBQ sauce and let simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.