Ingredients

• 2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from an Italian or a French loaf)
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 3/4 pound ground beef chuck
• 3/4 pound ground veal
• 3/4 pound ground pork (not lean)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 3/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano (3 1/2 ounces)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Stir together bread crumbs and milk in a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes.
2. Add meats, garlic, cheese, eggs, parsley, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bread crumb mixture and blend with your hands until combined (do not overmix). Form 1 1/2 cups meat mixture into small torpedo-shaped meatballs (1 level tablespoon each). Reserve remaining 4 cups meat mixture for ragù .
3. Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then fry meatballs in 2 batches (do not crowd), turning occasionally, until browned well and cooked through, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels using a slotted spoon and reserve oil for frying meatballs for ragù.