Polish Style Meatballs

Polish Style Meatballs
Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups French/Italian bread, cut into 1/2" cubes - firmly packed
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk
1/2 Tbsp. seasoning salt or Mrs. Dash
1 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. ground beef (1/2 sirloin, 1/2 80% fat)
Note: Some people like to use a mixture of 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork
1 large onion, divided
1 Tbsp. Heinz 57 sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 tsp. garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 scallion, peeled, finely diced
1/2 lb. mushrooms
1/2 cup dry sherry
5 cups beef stock/broth
Note: I like to substitute 2 cups spaghetti sauce and add 3 cups beef stock/broth
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Pour the milk into the measuring cup containing the bread and mash down
with your fingers until it is fully saturated. The bread should now
measure 1 cup.
Finely dice 1/2 of the onion, and roughly chop the other half.
Mix the meat, egg, diced onion, Heinz 57 sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper,
along with the bread mixture until everything is incorporated well.
Form into large meatballs, 1-1/2" – 2" in diameter.
There should be 9-10.
Heat a cast iron frying pan or other large, heavy pan on medium high and
add the olive oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides, in two batches.
Remove the meatballs and place them in a dutch oven.
Lower the heat of the skillet to medium, and add the chopped onion,
scallion, and mushrooms and sauté for about 7-8 minutes.
Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Remove the mixture to the dutch oven and add the dry sherry, scraping up
the bits from the bottom of the pan.
Allow it to simmer for a few minutes, and add to the dutch oven, along
with the beef broth and spaghetti sauce and bring to a boil.
Heat the oven to 350°.
Whisk together the water and cornstarch and add it to the dutch oven,
stirring carefully so as not to break apart the meatballs.
Turn the heat off, cover and place it in the oven 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and re-season with salt and freshly ground black pepper,
if needed.
Serve with mashed potatoes, spaetzle, dumplings, or buttered noodles.