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Mama Mia! Now That's A Spicy Meatball!

Wishing to write today on a lighter subject matter than my usual rants about the social and political wrongs and evils in the world, I came across this while skimming through article subject matters and knew that I had to weigh in. There would be no true justice in the world did not a boy who grew up in the Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst areas of Brooklyn not chime in on this critical and important matter.

Anyone not familiar with the areas mentioned above should know that the neighborhoods are predominantly Italian and Italian-American, and they are a people who take meatball making very seriously. There are no shortcuts to the meatballs themselves nor the sauce (it's called gravy in Brooklyn) that must accompany it by tradition. I'm going to give you both recipes, and if after following them you don't agree that it was one of the best, most fattening meals that you've ever had, then if you can find me, lunch will be my treat.

First and foremost, one must understand that to make true meatballs, you can not use a high grade of ground beef. The 80% grade works best due to the higher fat content allowing for the adhesive effect desired in holding the meatballs together. Lets get started by gathering the meatball ingredients together. Here's what you'll need to feed a family of four or five:

1 lb. 80% ground beef
1 lb. ground Italian sausage (Very important, if your market doesn't carry it, ask the meat dept. to grind up a pack of whole Italian sausage for you.)
1 small onion, any color, diced very small
1 green pepper, diced very small
2 eggs
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin and diced
3/4 cup of Italian style bread crumbs (If you feel ambitious, take 1/2 of a loaf of French bread, toast it, and grind it into crumbs using a food processor or cheese grater)
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes ( Note: This is optional, and should be included only if you like it a little spicy.)
a little worcestershire, as you like, around 2 tbsp.
a little soy sauce, again as you like, around 2 tbsp. (ahhhhh, didn't know about this, did you?)

In a large mixing bowl, put all of the above ingredients in and hand mix well. No cheating with mixers. Squish that mound of meat until your hands hurt and all the ingredients are fully integrated. If the mixture feels a little loose, add some more bread crumbs until it feels very sticky, if too dry, add another egg.

To roll the meatballs

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