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

Why are they called porcupine meatballs? ›

The name comes from the appearance of the meatballs, which appear prickly when the rice pokes out of them as they cook, resembling a porcupine. Porcupine meatballs can be made in the slow cooker or baked. They can be served with relish such as red cabbage or radish and mashed potatoes.

How to cook porcupine? ›

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.

How many calories are in one porcupine meatball? ›

There are 53 calories in 1 porcupine ball with sauce of Porcupine Balls with Tomato-Based Sauce (Mixture). * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.

What is the oldest meatball? ›

The most likely candidate for the original meatball seems to be kofta, a dish of minced or ground beef, chicken, pork, or lamb, mixed with rice, bulgur, or mashed lentils. Now typically fashioned into cigar-sized cylinders, kofta seems to have originated with the Persians, who passed it to the Arabs.

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.

Is porcupine meat illegal? ›

Of the five species, only the Sunda porcupine Hystrix javanica is currently protected and that too, as recently as 2018. However, there are no harvest quotas for any porcupine species which makes all hunting and trade in porcupines illegal.

Is porcupine good meat to eat? ›

So you know it's going to be a good meal," she said. "I guess that's why it's exciting." Porcupine's taste is unique, she said. There's no comparison to chicken or beef.

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 are porcupine meatballs made of? ›

Combine ground beef, rice, egg, parsley, onion, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the tomato soup. Mix well. Shape mixture into about 20 small meatballs.

How unhealthy is a meatball? ›

Meatballs are often high in sodium and fat, but they are also a good source of protein. Choose meatballs made with leaner meats or eat them in moderation.

What are porcupine balls made of? ›

Despite their rather funny name, porcupine meatballs are just beef meatballs made with white rice that get slowly cooked in a simple tomato sauce. The resulting meatballs are tender, flavorful, and perfect for serving on top of mashed potatoes, noodles, or honestly, more rice.

What are the three dots called meatballs? ›

The term "meatball menu" originates from the appearance of three vertically (often called a kebab menu) or horizontally stacked dots (most commonly called a meatball menu) resembling a stack of meatballs.

What do Italians call meatballs? ›

Called polpettes, Italian meatballs are often served sauceless and are much smaller than the meatballs you're probably used to. Traditional Italian meatballs typically contain equal portions of meat and soaked bread, and other additions such as egg and vegetables.

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