Make Simple Meatballs

Meatballs are a staple recipe for most cooks. They are delicious, whether with spaghetti or on their own, and they are super easy to make. The following method is easily and infinitely customizable, allowing you to create whatever meatballs you want with whatever you have one hand. Don't feel like you need to follow the exact "letter of the law" here -- just have some fun.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground meat (hamburger, lamb, veal, pork, turkey, or a combination of these)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Seasonings, to taste

Steps

Making Meatballs

  1. Whip up your egg binding in a small bowl. Meatballs need the egg and breadcrumbs in order to hold their shape, and the egg will provide moisture as they cook. By adding the seasonings to this liquid mixture, you'll ensure that they distribute evenly throughout the meatballs. Try out the following seasoning combos, or feel free to make your own. The only essential is the one teaspoon salt:
    • 1/2 teaspoon each oregano, garlic powder, cracked red pepper, thyme
    • 1-2 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend (if it contains salt, do not add the teaspoon of plain salt)
    • 1 packet powdered onion soup mixture.
    • Adobo chili mixture or spice packet[1]
  2. Dump your raw ground meat in a large bowl. Remember that you can use anything here to form your meatballs, though hamburger tends to be the classic choice. That said, mixing things up and combining meats, like the Italian classic of burger, lamb, and veal, can lead to some truly stellar meatballs with no extra work.
  3. Add the egg mixture, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs to the meat and mix well. You should use your hands, if you're comfortable, to blend and mix the crumbs together, as this will ensure everything is well coated. Pinch the meat between your fingers to blend instead of kneading or smashing the meat. If not using your hands, a sturdy wooden spatula or spoon will do.
    • Mix as little as possible for the best texture-- just until everything is well mixed. The more you mix the meat, the tougher it gets.[2]
  4. Form 1-inch balls by rolling the mixture in your hands. Simply pinch off some of the meat mixture and roll it up into a ball. You can make bigger or smaller meatballs, of course, but know that you must adjust cooking times accordingly.
    • Larger meatballs will take longer to cook, and you must be careful not to let the outsides burn while the insides finish.
    • Smaller meatballs may dry out if you're not careful -- they must hit the heat and come off quicker.[3]
  5. Cook for in a frying pan over medium heat, preferably in your sauce. You can simply cook the meatballs in hot olive oil, flipping every 2-3 minutes until well browned on all sides. But the best way to cook meatballs is in the sauce they were served. Hit up an 3/4-inch of sauce to a simmer and then just dump the meatballs in, turning occasionally for 30 minutes. This will bring out a richness in the sauce and cook the meatballs in a nice, tenderizing liquid, preventing drying out.
    • A slow-cooker filled with sauce and meatballs can accomplish the same thing for beautifully rich, slow-cooked meatballs.
  6. Alternatively, cook meatballs in the oven on a baking rack for 20-30 min at 350F. Make sure you rotate them every 10 minutes or so, ensuring even cooking. Roasting tends to bring out a slightly deeper flavor, as the edges brown and crisp, so choose the method that you think is the best -- neither skillet nor oven is the "right" way.
    • Finish the meatballs with 2-3 minutes in the broiler to get a wonderfully browned, crisp edge if desired.[2]
  7. Serve with any carbohydrate, such as spaghetti/pasta, white rice, or a baked potato. You can also freeze these meatballs for several weeks if you're not ready to eat them. Enjoy!

Adding Your Own Twists

  1. Add fresh, chopped onion and minced garlic for added flavor depth. The most common addition to simple meatballs is onion and garlic, as they bring a richness to the meatballs without a ton of extra work. If you finely chop up half an onion (less than 1/2-inch big pieces) and mince 2-3 cloves of garlic, add them to the meat before the egg and breadcrumbs.
    • A 1/4 cup of freshly cut parsley goes wonderfully with the onion and garlic as well.
  2. Mix the 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup of milk ahead of time for more tender balls. This pre-soaking will make the breadcrumbs soggy, which releases moisture as the meatballs cook to keep them tender and juicy throughout.[2]
  3. Bake directly in a marinara sauce, covered with cheese, for instant meatball sub material. Once the meatballs are formed, cook them on the stovetop at high heat just until the edges brown. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400° F. Dump the half-cooked balls into a shallow baking dish and smother them with red sauce, then cover with cheese (mozzarella, Fontina, Parmesan). Bake the whole thing for 15-20 minutes and then serve with bread or on a roll.[4]
  4. Add a simple glaze to serve the meatballs as their own entree. Tired of the classic spaghetti and meatballs? You can mix things up and make meatballs their own main course with a simple but savory glaze, made to complement your rich meatballs perfectly:
    • Bring 1/4 cup butter and 1 cup of currant, grape, or blackberry jelly to a simmer.
    • Add 1/8 teaspoon allspice and stir in.
    • Add the cooked meatballs into the glaze and turn to coat.
    • Cook for 3-5 minutes in the glaze, until it thickens around the meat.[5]
  5. Brown the outside of the meatballs and then freeze them if you need to cook ahead. Don't just freeze the raw meat. Instead, cook the meatballs in a skillet until the outsides are brown, then cool and freeze. When ready to eat them, heat them up for 20 minutes or so in 1/2 of sauce to finish cooking them and thaw them up naturally, leading to almost no loss of texture and flavor.[2]



Tips

  • Add extra flavor by using Italian seasoned bread crumbs.
  • Use ground turkey or lamb instead of ground beef for a healthier, leaner meatball.

Warnings

  • Be careful around the stove when it is hot.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/09/super-simple-friday-night-meatballs-recipe.html
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-meatballs-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-108048
  3. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/popular-ingredients/meatball-recipes
  4. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/cheesy-baked-meatballs
  5. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/glazed-meatballs
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