Rinse the rice: Put the rice in a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over it for about 20 seconds, until the water coming through looks mostly clear. Shake it dry.

Mix the meat: Combine the ground beef, rinsed rice, onion, garlic, egg, 2 tablespoons parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. Mix with your hands just until the rice is spread evenly through. It will feel looser and wetter than a normal meatball mix, and that's right.

Roll and arrange: Wet your hands and roll the mixture into 24 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches each. Set them in a large deep skillet in a single layer. They can touch, they just shouldn't stack.

Mix and pour the sauce: Whisk the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper together, then pour it evenly over the meatballs. It should come up around them and nearly cover them.

Simmer covered: Bring the pan to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then drop the heat to low, cover, and simmer 40-45 minutes. Keep it at a lazy bubble. A hard boil breaks the meatballs apart and cooks the sauce down before the rice softens.

Baste the porcupine meatballs: At about the 20-minute mark, lift the lid just long enough to spoon sauce over any tops sitting dry, then cover again. Every long peek costs steam the rice needs.

Check and serve: They're done when the grains are tender and clearly standing out of the meatball surface and the beef reads 160°F on a thermometer. Rest the pan off the heat 5 minutes, then scatter the remaining parsley over the top.