Meatballs... Search is Over on How to Cook Them.

I love love love meatballs!  BUT could never figure out how to make them that they weren't hard, dry and tasteless.   I just couldn't get it.   So after many many moons I finally figured it out. It took a bit to put it all together on what I was doing wrong. I had some left over ground chicken.  Instead of making chicken patties I decided to try meatballs. They turned out OK but not quit right.   I found a recipe online.  The flavor was good but they needed work. I was still missing something and didn't know what it was.  

Because I couldn't let it go, I remember the blog I wrote about how to cook a chicken breast that wasn't dry. No More Dry Chicken. Was that it?  Was I over cooking them?  I didn't have any ground chicken but I had a grinder and I had some chicken breast.  Ground the chicken, added seasoning and herbs only this time I got the pan hot with olive oil and dropped the meatballs into the pan and got them nice and brown.   Only this time I did not cook them all the way through.   When I was done browning them, I put them back in the pan with a nice homemade chicken gravy and cooked them slowly.  I HAD IT!!!  Not dry or hard like a hockey puck,  but still needed to work on the seasoning.   I realized it was more in the technique then anything.

Yet, I wasn't so sure about attempting meatballs with ground beef since it is a very different protein.  A friend's favorite meal is meatballs and spaghetti. He said I could do this.  I didn't need help on getting them to taste good because I learned that with the chicken meatballs. It was that texture I had to figure out with the ground beef.   So I hunted the internet for the answer.  And there it was.  HELLO!!!   I knew all the tips they gave me, I just never put them all together.

Here are the tips to a great meatball...

• You want a good ground beef but not to lean.  The fat in the meat helps keep the protein moist while cooking.
• I mince my garlic and onions and saute them. You don't want big pieced of onions in your meatball
• Don't be afraid to use seasoning and herbs.   Added herbs and seasonings to your meat and do a taste test.   Fry up a little of the meat mixture in a pan to make sure the seasoning is right.
• Every thing you add the to ground beef MUST BE COLD!!!!   When you saute your onions and garlic with your herbs and seasoning, place it in the fridge to cool it off. Regardless of the type of meat you use make sure everything is the same temperature when you combine it.  If you add the onion and spice mixture to the meat when it is hot you will start breaking down the protein in the meat.  You don't want that.
• Do not over handle the meat.  Chicken is much looser then beef, port or lamb.  It seems like it wont hold its shape but it will.   You really cant over handle the chicken. You can, though, when  you are working with beef, pork and lamb.  You do not want to form the meat into tight perfectly round balls.  Doing that will make them dry and hard.
• Do not over cook them.  You want to get a nice sear on them but not cooked all the way through.   You want them to finish cooking in your sauce on low.   This will keep them moist.
• Eggs do not make the meatballs moist.  They are a binding agent.  Adding more will not help.
• I use oatmeal to help bind everything together.   Like everything else there is a trick. You do not want to use the oats whole.   Put them in a food processor and give them a few spins with the blades.   You don't want them to be powder.   Just break them down a bit.

When you form the ball,  you do not want to over work them.  I use about 2- 3 tablespoons of meat.  You can use any amount you want.  It isn't about the size; it is in the technique.   Loosely form the meat into ball.  DO NOT squeeze the meat. I roll them back and forth between my hands with my fingers. Remember, there is not such thing as a perfectly round meatball except in the freezer section of the grocery store that were made by a machine.  I am suspicious of those things.

Next is cooking the meatball.  Again, you do not want to over cook the meatball.  Get your pan hot, add a little olive oil and add the meatballs.   Don't over crowd them.   Give them room to cook.  Once they are browned on one side start turning them until they are nicely brown all the way around. It doesn't take long to brown them, so keep an eye on them. Many people bake them in the oven but I find I have more control over the cooking process when I cook them in a pan on the stove.

In the recipe I have provided below, you can be used any meat combination.  All the tips above are the same for any meat used.

What is needed...

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 to 1 cup minced onion.   It is a preference thing.

2 - 3 tablespoons minced garlic

3 - 4 tablespoons minced herbs,   I use dill, parsley and basil

2 eggs

3/4 cup oats (before grinding)

Seasoning salt to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Here is what you do...

• Saute onions and garlic.  Turn down the heat and add the seasoning and herbs to allow them to bloom.  Place in fridge to cool.
• Grind the oats in the food processor
• Once the onion mixture has cold and the same temperature as the meat, combine in a bowl with eggs and oats. Remember all the ingredients should be cold.
• Get pan hot and add meatballs.  Sears on all sides.   Remove from pan.  They should not be cook all the way through.
• Once all the meatballs have been cooked add them to your sauce to finish cooking through. At this point the cooking process is low and slow.   You do not want to burn your sauce or cook the meatballs too fast.

EAT UP!!!

You can make these ahead of time and freeze.  OR if you make too many, you can freeze them for another meal.  You do not have to finish cooking them before you freeze them. Place them in a zip lock bag.  They will be perfect when you take them out.

Experiment with different combinations of meat.   Growing up we used ground beef but I know many grew up with ground beef and pork.  Some have used veal.  Really is a personal choice.

Now go make something you love for yourself or someone you love.