“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
— Albert Einstein
Your Italian friend and his cousin, Vinny, may swear up and down that their Nonna and her Nonna’s Nonna invented the first meatballs (Polpettes), but we both know that’s far from the truth.
Italians may have popularized meatballs, but for the longest time Persians, my ancestors (brag alert), who used leftover meat to make kofteh, had been accredited for coming up with the first meatballs. Thanks to new findings, it turns out that Persians weren’t the first inventors of meatballs either (wah-wah). Going as far back as the Qin Dynasty (221 BC to 207 BC), the Chinese beat every other culture to making meatballs. 好惊喜啊 hǎo jīng xǐ ‘a .
In the modern day, every culture and subculture has its own version of meatballs. Americans, being descendants of European immigrants, adapted their forefather’s recipes to their new land and new challenges. Porcupine Meatballs were developed during the Great Depression to stretch the mean where the added rice gave these meatballs their entertaining porcupine appearance. To nail the appearance, braise the meatballs in the tomato sauce and finished them in the oven.
Enjoy this satisfying and hearty meal served over pasta or as is.
