Great-Grandma Turano's Meatballs

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 (10-inch) metal skewers
• Bottled barbecue sauce
• Sandwich buns (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, eggs, salt, fennel seeds, and pepper. Shape into 37 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Freeze up to 1 month. When ready to use, let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Thread meatballs 1/8 inch apart onto metal skewers. Grill, covered with grill lid, at 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until centers are no longer pink, basting with barbecue sauce during last 3 minutes. Serve on skewers or buns.