[Rich Iwaszko]

Hi,
I am looking for the best meatballs. Have tried straight burger, 80-20, 1/2 pork 1/2 burger,
100% ground chuck, and 100% rib eye.

What is your best recipe, spices, and what cooking method do you do. Have tried frying before baking or sauce baking.

Most meatball recipes produce mushy, soft, meatballs....trying to find a meatball not a mush ball or bread ball. Manja

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

The perfect meatballs are made along with the sauce. But on days when I am thawing out sauce I've frozen after making it, and need to make new meatballs, I use the microwave oven. As long as you don't TELL your Italian guests you did this, they won't know the difference. So here's what I do:

You need a glass casserole dish, the biggest one that'll fit in your microwave oven.
You'll also need a jar to drain off however much fat you want to drain off. I usually drain around 3/4 of whatever melts into the dish. The other 1/4 adds extra flavor and texture to the sauce.

In a bowl, add:
a couple of palmfuls of italian bread crumbs, for each pound of meat.
a splash of milk
1 egg per pound of meat
a healthy pinch of oregano, smushed into near-powder between your fingers.
1 clove garlic per pound of meat, minced/pressed
half a palmful of grated parmesano reggiano cheese (it's around 1 cubic inch of ungrated cheese)
a few turns of a black pepper grinder
ground beef - 79-85% lean (ground chuck is perfect)

Wash your hands, and smush all that stuff together in the bowl til it's well-blended. Hand-form meatballs around 50% larger than the size of a golf ball. Don't compress them, keep them relatively loose. Place them in the glass dish. If making 2 pounds, you might need to split this into two dishes. Most microwaves won't accommodate a dish big enough for 2 pounds worth of meatballs.

Nuke on high for 3 minutes. Remove from oven, turn them and take the ones in the middle of the dish, and put them on the outer edges, putting the ones that were on the outer edges into the middle.

Nuke again on high for 2 minutes. This is when you would remove the excess fat if you want to (there will be plenty) before adding the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs, turning them to make sure each one is well-coated. I cut my meatballs in half for this step, but it isn't necessary. I just prefer them to be drier inside rather than juicier.

Nuke again 2 more minutes.

When the macaroni is ready to put in the strainer, nuke again for another minute while you're straining the macaroni.

[villagetinker]

Try Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza, 729 Kristine Way, The Villages, FL 32163,Located in: Lake Deaton Plaza

They have a large meatball platter that is excellent.

Just realized you were looking to make your own, but I still recommend above if you want some in a restaurant.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Also a tip for making meatballs (whether you do the microwave or the stovetop version): less milk, fewer breadcrumbs. If you have a recipe that calls for an exact amount of either, make it less. You don't need a half cup of breadcrumbs for a pound of meat. Just a couple palmfuls to keep them from being hard as rocks. And ALWAYS use a splash of milk directly over the breadcrumbs to soften them before adding the meat. Just a splash. Not a measured amount.

[bsloan1960]

I always use pulverized Ritz Crackers instead of bread crumbs.

[MrChip72]

The Sunny Pint on 44 offers a very tasty pesto meatball sandwich. I've never had anything else like it.

[Ecuadog]

I would like to know if there is a decent brand of frozen, cooked meatballs. The older I get, the lazier I get.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Ecuadog

I would like to know if there is a decent brand of frozen, cooked meatballs. The older I get, the lazier I get.

Sams had a good one, took two years to finish all 5 pounds and last week they were gone.

Bought a turkey one and hope it will be good.

[Blackbird45]

When it comes to recipes be it meatball or sponge cake just go to YouTube, they'll have dozens and dozens of recipes on whatever food you want to make.

[ronniegaenzle@gmail.com]

Ive been making 100 meatballs at a time. Roughly getting 20 mb per lb. Mixing together randomly a mix of organic beef,bison,lamb, turkey, chicken. Been different every time . I have not figured out a recipe yet because I beleive everyone has their own taste. If quality is there when you start and use cooking methods that you prefer best for crust or firmness you will always be happy. If there is quality, I never met a meatball that I couldn’t eat. Met some that I didn’t like but probably ate anyway. Buts that’s me. Enjoy your meatball journey. They are about 5 grams of protein in each meatball!!!! Eat up. It’s a great choice. Always have them in refrigerator. Eat between 5-10 for breakfast every morning, snack on them all day long . Throw them in a bowl , 40 seconds heat up in microwave . Pop um. Even eat them cold. Been eating them with different flavored mustards also. Quite fun!!!!

[midiwiz]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

The perfect meatballs are made along with the sauce. But on days when I am thawing out sauce I've frozen after making it, and need to make new meatballs, I use the microwave oven. As long as you don't TELL your Italian guests you did this, they won't know the difference. So here's what I do:

You need a glass casserole dish, the biggest one that'll fit in your microwave oven.
You'll also need a jar to drain off however much fat you want to drain off. I usually drain around 3/4 of whatever melts into the dish. The other 1/4 adds extra flavor and texture to the sauce.

In a bowl, add:
a couple of palmfuls of italian bread crumbs, for each pound of meat.
a splash of milk
1 egg per pound of meat
a healthy pinch of oregano, smushed into near-powder between your fingers.
1 clove garlic per pound of meat, minced/pressed
half a palmful of grated parmesano reggiano cheese (it's around 1 cubic inch of ungrated cheese)
a few turns of a black pepper grinder
ground beef - 79-85% lean (ground chuck is perfect)

Wash your hands, and smush all that stuff together in the bowl til it's well-blended. Hand-form meatballs around 50% larger than the size of a golf ball. Don't compress them, keep them relatively loose. Place them in the glass dish. If making 2 pounds, you might need to split this into two dishes. Most microwaves won't accommodate a dish big enough for 2 pounds worth of meatballs.

Nuke on high for 3 minutes. Remove from oven, turn them and take the ones in the middle of the dish, and put them on the outer edges, putting the ones that were on the outer edges into the middle.

Nuke again on high for 2 minutes. This is when you would remove the excess fat if you want to (there will be plenty) before adding the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs, turning them to make sure each one is well-coated. I cut my meatballs in half for this step, but it isn't necessary. I just prefer them to be drier inside rather than juicier.

Nuke again 2 more minutes.

When the macaroni is ready to put in the strainer, nuke again for another minute while you're straining the macaroni.

WTF??? Macaroni? oh yes that's why it's sauce not gravy. that's why you nuked what should be. can't call these perfect by any means.

[midiwiz]

Originally Posted by Rich Iwaszko

Hi,
I am looking for the best meatballs. Have tried straight burger, 80-20, 1/2 pork 1/2 burger,
100% ground chuck, and 100% rib eye.

What is your best recipe, spices, and what cooking method do you do. Have tried frying before baking or sauce baking.

Most meatball recipes produce mushy, soft, meatballs....trying to find a meatball not a mush ball or bread ball. Manja

While the meatballs must still remain 'moist' as no one likes a dry meatball, if the recipes you've used turn out soft and mushy there is one of 2 problems. Where that recipe came from aka it's wrong/bad OR you didn't have the proper technique.

I'd give you the long time family one but.... unless I know exactly what you are looking for I won't. there is more than mushy to it. Oh and perfect requires Beef/Veal/Pork

[Harvin]

Try Aldi's meatballs in the fresh meat section, and cook them on the grill

[sdeikenberry]

Some 15 years ago I saw a Food Network show that featured Mamma Maroni's meatballs from a family restaurant in Northport NY. The recipe is over 100 years old and straight from the old country. I've been making these ever since and they are foolproof perfect. Everytime we have them for guests people rave about them.


1 pound ground chuck

4 ounces dried bread crumbs

4 large eggs

4 ounces whole milk

6 ounces grated Romano

3 ounces grated Spanish onion

2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic

2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs.
Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet.
Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes.
Finish in the sauce before plating.

[msilagy]

Homemade meatballs are the best - when people bring those store bought as an appetizer in some type of sauce - ugh! Anyway I presume poster knows how to make meatballs. Just looking at variations. Tastes vary tho so that's hard to do! Flavor is most important. I like to put some parsley in mine along with breadcrumbs or squeezed bread, parmesan grated, garlic, an egg or two, S&P. Ground chuck too. Now whether they are baked, fried, made in sauce, is simply a preference one has.