1 to 1 1/4 lb. ground beef chuck
3/4 to 1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg (or two small)
short glass with a 1/2 cup of water
1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. fresh (or dried oregano)
1/2 tbsp. fresh (or dried basil)
1 tsp. dried parsley (or 1 1/2 tsp. fresh)
1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. garlic powder (or 2-3 finely minced cloves)
1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. onion powder (or 1/8 cup finely minced)
8 to 10 turns of fresh ground black pepper
pinch Kosher or sea salt

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In large bowl add bread crumbs and spices, mix well.

This next step is very important. Add tablespoon of water until bread crumbs are moist and hold together in little crumbles (about 10 to 15 tablespoons). Do not soak the breadcrumbs!

Add Parmesan cheese, mix slightly. Add ground beef and raw egg and mix well with fingers, distributing everything evenly throughout mixture. Loosely pack together mixture with finger tips so they are slightly larger than a golf ball.

Note: It is very important not to pack them too tight. If packed too tight meatballs will be hard and tough. Meatballs should not be perfectly round. If they are then they are probably packed too tight.

Put in oven on shallow cookie sheet and bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and put meatballs on plate with paper towels.

Add meatballs to your favorite sauce (tomatoes, etc.) and cook them as long as you like. The longer they cook, the better the sauce.

Submitted by: Don Difilippo