"The unusual name for porcupine meatballs comes from its use of uncooked rice, which pokes out of the meatball mixture like spines. Recipes for porcupine meatballs date back to the early 20th century, but it became much more of a food fixture during the Great Depression, when rice was an even cheaper way to stretch meatballs, a food already designed to give people the most bang for their buck with ground meat."
"Beyond the rice, porcupine meatballs are surprisingly simple meatball recipe. The basic dish doesn't call for any of the normal meatball fillers like egg and breadcrumbs. Instead, water is added to the mixture along with the rice, to help make sure there is enough moisture that the rice cooks through while the meatballs are baking. Beyond that only some standard seasonings"
Porcupine meatballs use uncooked rice mixed into ground meat so rice grains protrude like spines after cooking. The recipe dates to the early 20th century and became especially common during the Great Depression because rice was an inexpensive way to extend meat. The dish remained popular post–World War II for feeding large families and later incorporated canned tomato soup for convenience. The basic preparation omits typical fillers like egg and breadcrumbs; water is added so the rice cooks while baking. Seasonings are minimal, making the recipe simple, affordable, and enduringly appealing.
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