Porcupine meatballs: An old-fashioned recipe from the 50s that's still popular today - Click Americana (2024)

Porcupine meatballs: An old-fashioned recipe from the 50s that's still popular today - Click Americana (1)

  • Categories:1950s, Retro dinner recipes, Vintage advertisem*nts, Vintage meat recipes
  • By The Click Americana Team
  • Added or last updatedApril 18, 2018

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This classic recipe for porcupine meatballs was popular for dinners back in the 1940s & 1950s.

While we don’t know the original source, it may have been invented even earlier by resourceful US homemakers during the Great Depression to stretch a small amount of ground beef by adding rice as a filler. (Perhaps influenced by the traditional stuffed cabbage recipes of their forebears?)

The name “porcupine,” of course comes from the appearance of the meatballs, which resemble wee porcupines with the rice grains sticking out.

Creative dinner: Rice and beef porcupine meatballs — a tender and tempting dish

The Herald-Palladium (Saint Joseph, Michigan) December 16, 1953

Here is an exciting way to make a rice and beef main dish which is new and different!

Your children will think it is great fun to eat these savory “little fellows” made of economical rice and beef. Dad, too, will enjoy this way to serve the meat favorite — beef — and will be mightly pleased when a platter of porcupine meatballs is placed before him to serve.

Uncooked rice and beef are mixed together, and during the baking, the grains of rice absorb moisture and pop through the surface to make white “quills.”

So make these beef and rice balls often, and keep your family pleased and satisfied.

Porcupine meatballs: An old-fashioned recipe from the 50s that's still popular today - Click Americana (2)

Rice and beef porcupine meatballs recipe (1948)

Fun to make — fun to eat!

Now here’s a recipe that shows you the delicious things you can make with Hunt’s tomato sauce… When you take these “porcupines” from the saucepan, notice how the rice has puffed up — light and oh, so tasty!

MORE: Anthony’s mouthwatering meatball recipe (1997)

Rice and beef porcupines recipe (1953)

Porcupine meatballs: An old-fashioned recipe from the 50s that's still popular today - Click Americana (3)

Made with Hunt’s Tomato sauce —A spectacular recipe for a modest little price!

Good? They’re simply wonderful! Just look how those grains of rice swell up luscious and tender, thanks to nice-and-spicy Hunt’s Tomato Sauce…

ALSO TRY: Mangia! 10 magnificent classic meatball recipes (1970s)

Porcupine meatballs: An old-fashioned recipe from the 50s that's still popular today - Click Americana (4)

Rice & beef porcupine meatballs

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup raw rice, well washed
  • 3 tablespoons chopped onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons fat
  • 2 cans Hunt's tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  1. Mix together ground beef, raw rice, chopped onion, pepper, poultry seasoning, and salt.
  2. Form mixture into 10 or 12 small balls.
  3. Brown them lightly in an uncovered saucepan in the fat.
  4. Drain off excess fat and add Hunt's tomato sauce and water.
  5. Cover tightly.
  6. Simmer 45 to 50 minutes, or till rice is tender.
  7. Serve with the flavory pan gravy.
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 370Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1440mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 28g

Click Americana offers approximate nutrition information as a general reference only, and we make no warranties regarding its accuracy. Please make any necessary calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, and consult with a qualified healthcare professional if you have dietary concerns.

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  • Categories: 1950s, Retro dinner recipes, Vintage advertisem*nts, Vintage meat recipes
  • Tags: 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, beef, fifties recipes, ground beef, meatballs, meatloaf, recipes, rice, tomatoes
  • Added or last updatedApril 18, 2018
  • Comments: None yet - Want to leave one?

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Porcupine meatballs: An old-fashioned recipe from the 50s that's still popular today - Click Americana (2024)

FAQs

What are porcupine meatballs made of? ›

Mix ground beef, rice, water, onion, salt, celery salt, garlic powder, and black pepper thoroughly in a bowl until well combined. Roll mixture into 12 meatballs. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

What are traditional meatballs made of? ›

Instructions: for meatballs

Add all the ingredients: beef, pork, egg, parmigiano, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix all with your hands, or with a fork, until you have a smooth compound.

How to cook porcupine meat? ›

After removing the quills, if you choose to do so, you can roast the porcupine whole over the fire or butcher as you desire prior to cooking. Some cultures and primitive skills practitioners will also bury the whole porcupine in a pit of coals to roast, steaming it overnight and waking up to a delectable meal.

What was the first meatball called? ›

However, the meatball is thought to have originated in ancient Persia. The earliest recorded meatball dish, called kofta, was created by rolling leftover ground lamb into large balls (we're talking orange-sized or bigger). The balls were glazed with egg yolk and saffron before cooking.

Why do my porcupine meatballs fall apart? ›

While there could be a few causes for your meatballs to fall apart, most of the time it's because you didn't mix up the ingredients well enough. You don't want to overwork the meat to the point that it gets tough, but you need to work it enough to get everything well combined in order to keep them from falling apart.

What are Kirkland meatballs made of? ›

Beef, water, seasoning (bread crumbs [enriched bleached wheat flour {niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid}, salt, durum flour, soybean oil, shortening, leavening {sodium bicarbonate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate}, dextrose, yeast, spice extracts], soy protein ...

What not to do when making meatballs? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Meatballs
  1. Not seasoning the meat.
  2. Not adding any moisture to the meat.
  3. Over-mixing the meat.
  4. Not shaping the meatballs correctly.
  5. Not forming evenly-sized meatballs.
May 1, 2019

What is the secret of a tender meatball? ›

They are super flavorful but what makes them so so tender and moist is this: Plain Greek Yogurt. The lactic acid from the yogurt tenderizes the meat while adding subtle flavor. The addition of egg and parmesan cheese help keep the meat together so that you get delicious weeknight meatballs in minutes.

Is it better to bake meatballs at 350 or 400? ›

For 1-2 inches of beef, pork, or turkey meatballs without any pre-cooking, use these guidelines for your wall oven:
  • 350°F wall oven:
  • 8–14 minutes for 1-inch meatballs.
  • 14–18 minutes for 2-inch meatballs.
  • 400°F wall oven:
  • 6–10 minutes for 1-inch meatballs.
  • 10–14 minutes for 2-inch meatballs.
  • 425°F wall oven:
Aug 16, 2023

Is porcupine meat healthy? ›

In fact, omega 3 and omega 9 are also contained in porcupine meat so the benefits of porcupine meat to treat asthma are no doubt. Besides being able to treat asthma, kitotefin compounds can also stimulate anti-body formation. Therefore, consuming bermoncong animal meat can also strengthen the immune system.

What animal is able to eat a porcupine? ›

A number of larger predators like coyotes, great horned owls and bobcats will take an occasional porcupine, but these predators have little impact on porcupine numbers. Fisher, however, are effective predators of porcupines and can control porcupine populations in areas where they both live.

What does meatball mean in slang? ›

Slang. an awkward, clumsy, or ineffectual person.

What are porcupine made of? ›

The most prickly and third largest of all rodents, the porcupine's Latin name actually translates to “quill pig” in English and its German name translates to “thorn swine.” A porcupine's quills are made of Keratin, a substance also found in human hair and fingernails.

What are most meatballs made of? ›

Meatballs. Meatballs consist of finely minced meat, vegetables, seasonings, and binders like eggs and breadcrumbs to help keep them together. They are then cooked and served in a myriad of ways. These can be made from chicken, fish, beef, or pork.

What are Ikea meatballs made of horse meat? ›

“Based on the results of our mapping, we can confirm that the contents of the meatballs follow the Ikea recipe and contain only beef and pork from animals raised in the U.S. and Canada,” Ikea North America spokeswoman Mona Astra Liss said in a statement.

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