They look wonderful. I also use extra lean meat, lol. And guess what? I don't rinse it, but I do add a little water to the meatloaf or meatball mix to keep it moist. Lean meat and water!
I actually got that tip from Ina Garten, who got it from a great Chef for keeping those mixes moist. I ate 100% ground beef meatballs all my life until I tried hers with pork and veal mixed with the beef. They tasted so different from what I was used to, I wasn't sure I even liked them. I put them in the freezer, determined to use them up and then go back to my childhood recipe. By the time I finished them I had not only gotten used to them, I loved them! Now I make them that way 90% of the time, lol. I have a coworker who is like 2nd generation Italian and she uses sausage for hers. I also know a great Italian cook who is working on her first cookbook, and who changes the mixture based on what she feels like having and whats available. I think that is probably how many recipes were developed and each family just starting remaking it the way they liked the best. I used my last meatball from the freezer recently so you are reminding me that I will have to be making more.
