rinemb - Posted - 09/30/2011:  07:30:09

I have never been proud of my rare attempts at meatballs.  A meatloaf, Ok, but good meatballs, it just hasn't happened yet.  Today on Yahoo, a meatball recipe was offered, as I have attached to open discussion.  I would enjoy reading how you make a good meatball and your opinion of the one attached.  Brad                     

Meat Balls

In any case, making a tender meatball relies on a few basic principles: First there's ratio, and about 20 percent of the meat mix should be fat. In my restaurant — and this is a huge benefit of being a pizzeria — I can grind the end nubs of cured meats like prosciutto or sopressata to get fat and flavor at the same time. But at home, I use pancetta or nice smoky bacon. Quality matters because during the low, slow oven cooking, the fat flows out of the meatballs and goes right into the tomato sauce.

Then there's shape, and here you want to make sure to get all the air out as you form the meatball. For that I use an old-fashioned trigger ice-cream scoop. Firmly pack the meat into the scoop, pressing down on the flat side with your palm. Then use the spring trigger to release it, and roll it between your flattened palms into a ball. Of course, in between the mix and the shaping comes the filler, added for texture and to help retain shape. I go really easy — bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. A meatball should taste like meat.

• 
  Meat mix: 1 lb ground beef (80 percent lean/20 percent fat), 1 lb ground pork, 1 lb ground veal


• 
  1 lb pancetta or thick-sliced smoky bacon, finely minced


• 
  2 whole eggs


• 
  ⅓ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


• 
  ½ cup finely diced yellow onion


• 
  8 garlic cloves, minced


• 
  Herb mix: ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, 2 tbsp chopped oregano, 2 tbsp chopped rosemary

Combine above ingredients and mix well, kneading the mixture with your hands like dough.

• 
  ⅓ cup fine, dry unseasoned bread crumbs


• 
  about 4 oz (½ cup) whole milk


• 
  about 1 tsp coarse salt


• 
  about 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper

Slowly add milk to bread crumbs, stirring until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. Immediately add to the meat mixture, season with the salt and pepper, and mix well. To taste for seasoning: Heat a small amount of canola oil in a small pan. When it's hot — it will ripple in the pan — pinch off a bit of meat and fry in the oil. Remove with a spoon, taste, and correct seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Refrigerate the meat mixture for about 30 minutes.

• 
  canola oil for browning


• 
  about 12 cups good-quality tomato sauce, kept warm over low heat


• 
  finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape meatballs, preferably using an ice-cream scoop (see introduction). In a large skillet, heat about a quarter-inch canola oil until very hot. Working in batches, brown all sides of each meatball.

As they finish, transfer browned meatballs to a deep, ovenproof casserole. Cover meatballs with tomato sauce. (Don't skimp — they must be totally submerged.) Place in oven and bake until well done, about 1 ¾ to 2 hours. When done, they should feel firm to the touch, or an instant-read meat thermometer should read 160 degrees.

To serve: Spoon sauce over meatballs (2 or 3 per person), top with grated cheese, and pass crusty bread. Makes 25 to 30 meatballs. Serves 8 to 10 as an entrée, with leftovers

Nancy - Posted - 09/30/2011:  07:51:21

That sounds a lot like the ones that I have made. I tried out some other ways also.

 I baked them without the tomato sauce. Tightly covered. I add ground garlic sometimes when out of fresh garlic.

I used some of the mixed Italian spices at times.

I bought a double non-stick pan..one sits inside the other and has holes to let the grease drain into the bottom one. That works great. Little grease. No burned or singed meatloaf.

When in a hurry, I have bought the frozen meatballs, and used those. They are tasty, and work great.

Nancy

brokenstrings - Posted - 09/30/2011:  09:39:36

The only meatballs I make are the ones for Koenigsberger Klops, and I make them the way my mother did: ground beef only (standard recipe is mixed ground meat, and that's what my grandma and aunt made).

1-1/2 stale rolls, the French sort
1-1/2 lb ground beef
milk
1 small finely chopped sauteed onion
salt
soup greens

Soak the rolls in milk and squeeze the liquid out.
Mix with the beef and onion and form rather large meatballs.
Cook in water with soup greens. When they float to the top, they're done.

Put them aside. You have to make a sauce with a blond roux, lemon juice, capers, and the broth you cooked the meatballs in. Then you serve on top of rice.

KE - Posted - 09/30/2011:  12:26:19

Based on the tips from Brad's post, I need to use more fat and less breadcrumbs. 

rinemb - Posted - 09/30/2011:  12:54:01

Jesse, in german cooking, what do you consider "soup greens"?  Thanks, Brad

Slick Salmon - Posted - 09/30/2011:  13:02:11

One technique tip -- It helps to refrigerate meatballs before browning in a skillet, so they'll hold together better.

Brian T - Posted - 09/30/2011:  13:47:32

Once upon a time and not very long ago, I was the world's worst meatball maker. The make-up part is simple. In the cooking they either fell apart or wound up looking like models for the Egyptian pyramids. I no longer even try. When I want round ones, I bake on sheet pans.
200 at a time in batches to split between me and a neighbor who graciously provided the meat.

To be really Greek, I believe that meatballs have to be made from ground lamb. That's easy for me to get. However, for me they fry up as pointy things. So, I use a 1/4C measure, pack that with the meat mixture, flop that out, roll in flour and fry. Works for me.

KEFTEDES/Keftethes
Just have to have Tzadziki (next recipe) with these
- 1C bread crumbs softened with 2 tbs milk
- 500g ground bison/ lean ground beef/ ground lamb
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 medium onions, grated
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2C (or more) fine chopped parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1C all-purpose flour & olive oil for frying
- 2 tbs Greek Seasoning:
GREEK SPICE MIX MAKE UP 2X
This is the very best that I have ever found. The mint and cinnamon go together perfectly. It goes pale over time so don’t make a big batch unless you know you’ll use it (I do use a lot.)
- 3 tbs dried oregano flakes - 2 tbs dried mint flakes
- 1 tbs ground cumin - 1 tbs black pepper
- 2 tsp salt - 2 tsp cinnamon

Mix everything except the flour and oil. Form into small patties or balls, roll in flour and fry in olive oil until golden brown. Makes 2 dozen meatballs, golf ball size or bigger. Reheat and serve the next day for an improved taste.

Tzadziki
4 cloves garlic, minced
750ml plain yoghurt or 1/2C sour cream
1/2 medium English cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated
1 tbs fresh dill, fine chop (or 1 tsp dried dill)
1 tsp lemon juice, fresh is best
+/- 2 tsp olive oil
Salt the cucumber to extract water. Use a strainer or cheesecloth to extract water from the yoghurt (3+hrs in fridge.) Mix pressed cucumber with everything else and refrigerate 1+ hrs.


HA! The copy/paste thingie worked!

Tinfoot - Posted - 09/30/2011:  14:27:06

How Tinfoot makes Meatballs:

- 1 local Grocery Store
- 1 pkg Stouffer's Meatballs
- 1 microwave
- 1 bottle of Hot Sauce

... Ya, bachelor living at its best. :p

brokenstrings - Posted - 09/30/2011:  14:32:12

quote:

---

Originally posted by rinemb

Jesse, in german cooking, what do you consider "soup greens"?  Thanks, Brad

---

Celery, carrots, leeks, maybe parsnips too. BTW I forgot, the meatballs involve egg too. You can also mix in a little anchovy paste, which I only learned lately, since my mother hated the stuff.

brokenstrings - Posted - 09/30/2011:  14:37:00

Brian, I love keftedhes. I too know it with ground lamb.

Similar: Frikadellen, the ancestor of the Hamburger. They're really fried meatballs--stale roll, parsley, onion, &c.

pandjlocke - Posted - 09/30/2011:  15:18:05

I have been using quick (not instant) oats in place of bread crumbs in my meatballs/meatloaf the last few years. Same binding qualities, better flavor, healthier.

Brian T - Posted - 09/30/2011:  15:54:34

b) Then you take a big dish, add some olive oil and zest and juice of a lemon. Smash a few garlic cloves in there. Add 1+tbsp of that greek seasoning mix and stir it up. Flop the chops (pork or lamb) in the mix for 30 minutes and grill.



c) Or add some to a pot of rice and finish with some oil at the end.



d) or use a big bowl, mix olive oil with the greek seasoning. Preheat the oven. Cut and pat dry potato wedges, flop in the goop to coat, onto a sheet, cut sides up and into the oven 20-40 minutes. Can't fiddle around: the seasoning makes to spuds sweat and the coating runs off.

Paddy: do you chop the oat flakes in a blender first?

Edited by - Brian T on 09/30/2011 15:55:49

pandjlocke - Posted - 09/30/2011:  17:06:22

No. But be sure to use rolled quick (not instant) oats. The steel cut Irish stuff might be a little hard on the chompers.

rendesvous1840 - Posted - 09/30/2011:  17:24:38

I use fresh bread in mine, soaked in milk or beef broth, and chopped as fine as I can manage. Ma used stale bread we ran through a food chopper, but to me it seems wrong to put anything in that draws the juices out of the meat. I mix in an egg, parsley, chopped fresh onion and garlic, salt and black pepper, a little red pepper, whole fennel seed,and either parmigiana or Romano cheese. I buy my cheese in a chunk and only grate what I need when I'm cooking. The tough end of the cheese rind gets tossed into the marinara to soften and becomes a snack for the cook. Unless one of the siblings steals it! Sometimes I fry the meatballs, sometimes I bake 'em. They finish in the marinara as it simmers on top of the stove. I don't know amounts of anything, Ma didn't measure and I guess I got her habits.
Paul

Brian T - Posted - 09/30/2011:  20:01:05

Thanks, Paddy. I like the steel cut oats if they get a bit of a soak, first.
1840: the dogs know exactly when there's parmigiano or Romano rind available.
As stupid as some people claim Chessies to be, there are PERFECT table manners in the kitchen when I build cheese foods.

The bread crumb is a binder = keeps the meat balls together. I would not have thought so, years ago, but it seems to be important, moreso that the egg.

If and when it is my intention to make meatballs, I cut off and save the end slices from my own home-made bread, which I make every week. Strongest Maillard rxns so most savory for my meatballs/kefthedes.

How I do love these [FF] Off Topic threads = we all learn to eat better and that is an issue that no one can deny.

pandjlocke - Posted - 09/30/2011:  20:56:39

Brian, if I'm just having a good ol' bowl of porridge, it's steel cut every time. Slowly cooked to a nice, creamy texture. 

Nancy - Posted - 10/01/2011:  05:51:44

quote:

---

Originally posted by pandjlocke

I have been using quick (not instant) oats in place of bread crumbs in my meatballs/meatloaf the last few years. Same binding qualities, better flavor, healthier.

---

 Thank you. My mom used oatmeal. I use to do that, but been using the breadcrumbs. I believe that maybe the oatmeal is healthier, and will use it next time that I make meatloaf.

   I cannot abide ketsoup on my meatloaf or in it. Too sweet a taste.

  Nancy

pandjlocke - Posted - 10/01/2011:  06:12:53

I generally use BBQ sauce in place of ketchup or tomato sauce.

Nancy - Posted - 10/01/2011:  06:23:41

quote:

---

Originally posted by pandjlocke

I generally use BBQ sauce in place of ketchup or tomato sauce.

---

 Since diabetes came and sat on my doorstep, hidden sugars in some of those sauces I need to ignore.

  Sure would like to find a good bottled BBQ sauce not loaded in sugar and sweet taste.

   Nancy

drew-gurbach - Posted - 10/01/2011:  06:45:03

I know cooking is an art, and many take it to a higher, more passionate level, but I’m a bachelor here, and I have to say the opening recipe, at least to me, is way too time consuming and, well, beyond my meager culinary skills.  I used to get the in-a-bag-micro-and-go brands.  I’d nuke them, then drop them in my simmering sauce and let them co-mingle for about 30 to 45 minutes.  Nowadays, I’ve graduated to buying them premade at the meat counter at my local grocery store, tossing them in the oven for the prescribed period of time, then drop them into the sauce for the 30 to 45 minutes before I prepare whatever pasta noodles I’m making that night.  I MIGHT attempt a meatloaf someday.

Brian T - Posted - 10/01/2011:  09:44:21

dg: I hear you loud and clear. I have no desire and even less energy to cook like that every night. Time was certainly at a premium working full time and raising kids.

The Greek Meatball thing: never less that 2X or 3X that recipe. One prep mess to wash up in any case.
Same is true for string chicken, chili, taco meat, polpette meatballs and a host of other recipes that I really like.
Two nights ago, I did 4 bison T-bone steaks for myself. Ate half of one and froze the others.
That way, I can "get ahead" of the food thing, do what I like until 5:30PM or so, quit and have a dinner on the
table for myself with little additional effort (salad, etc).

brokenstrings - Posted - 10/01/2011:  10:03:38

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nancy

quote:

---

Originally posted by pandjlocke

I generally use BBQ sauce in place of ketchup or tomato sauce.

---

 Since diabetes came and sat on my doorstep, hidden sugars in some of those sauces I need to ignore.

 

​You and me both, Nancy. Thing is, I don't even like those sticky sweet sauces, though I like the meat they get plopped on. Give me Portuguese barbacoa any time. From the diabetes angle, you're only safe if you cook from the raw ingredients.

  Sure would like to find a good bottled BBQ sauce not loaded in sugar and sweet taste.

   Nancy

---

JMalmsteen - Posted - 10/01/2011:  20:44:26

The best meatballs recipe is the one from "The Spaghetti Factory." I am on my phone so I can't link it but its on the CD Kitchen site and you just have to Google it. Add more garlic than they suggest, use packaged breadcrumbs in the canister, and don't worry about putting the ingredients in the blender. Isn't this a banjo forum?? Haha...I love this site more every time I visit it!

Gomer - Posted - 10/01/2011:  20:53:45

 a pound of lean beef and a pound of veal. Two  eggs and a cup, of bread crumbs and a cup of parmigiana. Mix, salt and pepper, for and bake for 30 at 350. Finish in sauce and freeze the rest. It is that easy.

rinemb - Posted - 10/02/2011:  04:22:07

Nancy,  I buy the reduced sugar catchup by Heintz.  I can't taste the difference. Discovered it on the low-carb diet thing,  They used to call it the Low-carb catchup.  Though, there is still sugar through the tomato.  You could buy that stuff and blend in your own spices?

Brad

Don Borchelt - Posted - 10/02/2011:  05:46:42

The recipe in the OP is basically how I do it, as I learned from my wife's family.  The mix of beef, pork and veal, all three meats, is an essential part of an Italian meatball.  I use fresh (not dried) parsley, but not the rosemary or the oregano.  I don't go through the step of making the dough with the dried breadcrumbs, instead, I make fresh breadcrumbs by grinding up fresh scali bread in the blender, and just mix it right in with the rest of the ingredients.  I also have my own "secret" ingredient, borrowed from the way I learned to make hamburgers back in Cincinnati- I add a tablespoon of Dijon or some other strong mustard for every pound of meat.  That gives the meatballs an extra kick.  My Sicilian mother-in-law loves my meatballs; I don't tell her about the mustard.

When they are ready to cook, I bake them in the oven on a baking sheet for fifteen minutes, before dropping them in a large pot of red sauce, where they simmer along with the sauce on low heat for about two hours.   The baking step puts a nice crust on the outside of the meatball before the slow cooking process, so they will hold their shape and not fall apart.  You have to stir the sauce once in awhile. and make sure not to overcook.  I learned a hard lesson this summer, literally.  After a batch turned out really well, I decided to can some of it.  I filled three 32oz jars with sauce and meatballs, and ran them through the pressure cooker for about 40 minutes.  I sent one jar each to my brother and sister back in Cincinnati, and kept one jar for myself.  When I got around to opening the jar I had kept for myself, I discovered that the meatballs, which had been tender and juicy when I put them in, were now like cardboard.  The canning process had drawn all of the juices out of them. 

The meatballs and sauce are served over pasta.  In recent years, this is the only meat dish that has tempted my son off of his vegetarian diet.

Edited by - Don Borchelt on 10/02/2011 05:50:42

Brian T - Posted - 10/02/2011:  10:38:02

Anybody you know got stuck with the nickname "Meatball?"
His real name was Dennis. Highschool pal. Kind of a meatball shape.
Straight out of our senior year, he joined the navy.
He figured he's see more of the world to indulge his passion for collecting door knobs.

pandjlocke - Posted - 10/02/2011:  12:25:17

Doesn't every high school football team have a kid name Meatball on it?

KE - Posted - 10/02/2011:  12:33:04

Not directly on topic but we had meatball subs for lunch from leftover spaghetti and mb. May be my favorite use of meatballs.