Authentic Three ways to make meatballs: Carolina Housewife 1851

They certainly made meatballs in small batches! When we make them, they are about golf ball size and we start with five pounds of super-lean ground beef. Have enough to freeze for later use. Realize that the 1851 housewife did not have the option of the electric freezer.
Of course they did have much larger families on average!

It's shocking to me how often people just managed without refrigeration. I was reading a Civil War era account which casually mentioned a woman who ate part of a piece of fish and put the other half in the cupboard for tomorrow. And yet, mostly, people lived - at least some of the germs hadn't evolved as much due to close confinement and large-scale husbandry. My husband grew up leaving the butter out on the table, and I guess most people here are old enough to remember eating cookie dough with raw eggs in it.
 
According to "Civil war Recipes, Receipts from the Pages of Godey's Lady's Book", recipe for Forcemeat (1867).

"Half a pound of bread-crumbs, a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, a teaspoon of sweet herbs, a little grated nutmeg. and lemon-peel; seasoning of salt. pepper and Cayenne; two ounces of beef suet, very finely chopped, and two eggs a little beaten. Mix all together. The flavor of a little chopped ham is relished by some persons."

The sweet herbs use equal mixture of fresh parsley, tarragon, chives, and chervil, minced.
 
I never pictured people back in 1851 having meatballs for some reason. As @MRB1863 mentioned the small batch was due to the lack of refrigeration for leftovers, but also the fact that people didn't consume as much meat as it wasn't always readily available, so smaller portions. My grandparents talked about such issues even into the 1930's and 40's.

I still shamefully eat raw cookie dough once in a while and even dip my finger in cake batter on occasion, knock on wood, I've managed never to get sick from it.
 
Love meatballs too! Although ours are not so much like balls, they are more flat, although one of the names (especially used in and around Berlin) for them is "Buletten", which comes from the French word "boule" for ball. This is how ours look like:

http://www.georgs-kochrezepte.de/rezepte/frikadellen-buletten.htm

I guess most people here are old enough to remember eating cookie dough with raw eggs in it.

Sure! And I do that still, when I'm tasting dough to see if it's good. The amount is too small as if anything can happen.
We here also still eat Spaghetti Carbonara, Tiramisu and Mousse au chocolat prepared with raw eggs - sure there is a certain very minimal risk, but they are just too good to leave!
 
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I still shamefully eat raw cookie dough once in a while and even dip my finger in cake batter on occasion, knock on wood, I've managed never to get sick from it.

what's to be ashamed of that? friend of mine (farmboy and md) slurps up raw eggs and trained his daughters how to do that properly, i.e. take a deep sniff (and know when to throw them away if they have a bad smell) before you start slurping.
 
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what's to be ashamed of that? friend of mine (farmboy and md) slurps up raw eggs and trained his daughters how to do that properly, i.e. take a deep sniff (and know when to throw them away if they have a bad smell) before you start slurping.

I do remember that my Dad used to stir a raw egg in his orange juice. It became very smooth then, I loved it. Or people believed in stirring raw eggs in red wine ( @John Winn what do you think of that?) and drink that to regain strength after sickness ... it's just us who have all these modern medical treatments who are afraid of germs.

Back to the meatballs, of course they have to be fried until well done, then they can last several days, much more than the uncooked meat would have lasted. Or so I've been told. I never had the chance to try it, whenever I make meatballs, they don't see the light of the new day
:D
 
I do remember that my Dad used to stir a raw egg in his orange juice. It became very smooth then, I loved it. Or people believed in stirring raw eggs in red wine ( @John Winn what do you think of that?) and drink that to regain strength after sickness ... it's just us who have all these modern medical treatments who are afraid of germs.

that sounds horrible. i'm, however, for a slightly altered* amber moon at any time (you don't need a hangover for that)

Back to the meatballs, of course they have to be fried until well done, then they can last several days, much more than the uncooked meat would have lasted. Or so I've been told. I never had the chance to try it, whenever I make meatballs, they don't see the light of the new day
:D

you need a bigger pan

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using gin that is and maybe a tablespoon of tomato-juice
 
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