We came across this Porcupine Meatballs Recipe the other day that caught our attention. We have never heard of such an interesting recipe. Morbidly curious, with images of actual Porcupines in our minds, we steeled ourselves and opened up the recipe.
The good news!! These meatballs are not made of or from porcupines!
Ok, what the heck are Porcupine Meatballs? We want to know!
What are porcupine meatballs? What is in them that is so deserving to be named after a porcupine? Were they any good?? Was the texture of the meatballs reminiscent of porcupine quills? That just couldn’t be (as our mouths quivered at the thought of eating pokey things.)
The search for answers begins.
Curious, we took to the internet and googled until we found all the answers to our burning questions.
A big thanks to http://www.theaudaciouscook.com/2012/11/porcupine-meatballs.html for providing a history lesson on how and why this strangely named recipe came about. Food, such as meat, was hard to come by back in the great depression. As a result, desperate families had to be creative in order to survive.
A living history through a recipe
Meat was hard to come by, therefore the women used rice to stretch out their food supply (rice was cheaper to come by). It is the rice, mixed in with the beef and cooked, that gives this recipe it’s name.
Our mouths were relieved, Rice is better than porcupine quills for sure!
Now, porcupine meatballs have had various stages of popularity since then but not so much as to be a common household name.
Giving credit where it is due.
We looked at several recipes and it did not seem hard to make. We decided we had to do a recipe review on such an interesting named dinner. The recipe we chose to use comes from http://www.delish.com.
The basics and how to make Porcupine Meatballs
The recipe itself is very easy and straightforward to follow. First,you mix all the meat ingredients: ground beef, rice, onion, and seasonings together in a bowl. Next, you make your meatballs.
The rice sticks out to give the meatballs an interesting texture and appearance. Hence, the name porcupine meatballs.
You place the meatballs into a pan with rich tomato sauce and seasonings then bake. Pretty basic yet the flavor and texture is wonderful! The rice actually makes the meatballs juicier and more tender.
The tomato sauce is mild enough for any taste bud. You can serve said meatballs over noodles, mash potatoes, or (surprise!) more rice. Guess what we served ours over? Rice, of course!
This is a simple yet filling meal that is easy to make and can be made ahead of time. This recipe is kid friendly and the prep time is quick…unless you have kids helping (you noticed the kid friendly part, right?) then it does take a little longer to prep. Otherwise, it is a fun kitchen bonding experience for the whole family to participate in.
Honor the past….reflection time.
We honor the struggles and creativity of the human spirit, of how hard life must have been back in the Great Depression. We are eating a meal from the past created out of desperate times and need. A simple recipe with a bazaar name that showed the ingenuity and strength of our past.
We give thanks for all that we have today. The world we live in is full of uncertain times yet we have a roof over our head, clothes to wear, and food to eat.
The Morgan sisters hope you will try this recipe as it is really good, but also give pause and reflect on how lucky so many of us are, even if we think otherwise.
You can also check out our old family meatballs recipe here: Crock-Pot Meatballs Tomatoes and Onions.
Love,
The Morgan sisters.
Porcupine Meatballs Recipe
Notes
This is a quick and easy recipe to make. It can be made head of time.
Kid friendly and a good bonding time in the kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
- 3/4 c. uncooked long grain white rice
- 1/2 c. whole milk
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, divided
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, pureed
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, rice, milk, onion, parsley, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Shape beef mixture into 1 ½” meatballs.
- In a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add meatballs in a single layer and cook until golden, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove meatballs to a plate.
- In a 9”x13” baking dish, whisk together pureed tomatoes and remaining teaspoon Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper. Add meatballs to baking dish and cover with lid or foil.
- Bake until rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake until sauce is thickened and meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes more.
- Sprinkle with more parsley before serving.
- Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles.
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