by: @EatDrinkCarolinas
The 7th annual Great Meatball Contest was held this past Sunday in Simpsonville and boy I learned a lot. These Italian-Americans had plenty to say about how to create the perfect meatball (all while I continued stuffing my face full of cannoli, tiramisu and panettone).
First off, size matters and by that I mean the grind of your meat. The top three meatballs all used a medium grind, well seasoned with ingredients mixed in topped by a nearly smooth gravy. The contest was started by three competitive friends nearly a decade ago. The location changes every year and always raises money for the host’s charity. This year attendees noshed down on nearly 1400 meatballs, pasta, wine, salad, desserts while accompanied by an acoustic accordion (this was authentic stuff).
The 2018 winner is Cynthia Cicero Jones, who made her Italian grandmother’s sauce but researched new meatball recipes for weeks. A mixture of beef, three types of cheese, fresh herb, crumb, spices and a clever, hand-chopped ingredient resulted in the perfect meatball. Head over to our story on IG to see the Great Meatball Contest or to atHome Magazine to watch how this #1 Ball of Meat is made.
