Try making your own meatballs with cornmeal, instead of buying them frozen at your local grocery store. Cornmeal helps retain moisture in the meatballs, and creates a crisp texture. There are many recipes to make meatballs. It is important to choose a recipe that suits your tastes. You can add or remove ingredients from a meatball recipe to create your own custom meatballs. If you make too many meatballs, simply allow them to cool completely and place them in a glass container in your freezer.
Combine ¼ cup of white cornmeal, 1 beaten egg, a garlic clove, 1 small minced onion, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon of salt and 1-teaspoon ground black pepper in a mixing bowl.
Add the lean ground beef to the mixture. Combine until the ground beef until saturated with the ingredients.
Use your hands to create small meatballs that are ½ inch in diameter.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan. Once the butter melts, add a minced onion and cook over medium-low heat on the stove top until the onion lightly browns.
Combine the garlic clove, chili powder, cumin and tomato juice into the saucepan. Bring these ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the meatballs into the boiling sauce mixture carefully. Cover the saucepan with a lid, and simmer the sauce on low for 10 minutes. The meatballs are finished cooking once they have an internal temperature of 165 degrees.