Do you crave tender, juicy, and flavorful meatballs that melt in your mouth? The secret to achieving this culinary perfection lies in a combination of careful preparation, precise cooking techniques, and a few culinary secrets. In this article, we will unveil the secrets behind creating the most delectable meatballs, offering step-by-step guidance and expert tips to ensure perfect results every time. Whether you prefer classic beef meatballs, succulent pork meatballs, or a delightful combination of both, we will guide you through the process of selecting the finest ingredients, mastering the art of seasoning, and cooking them to perfection. Prepare to tantalize your taste buds with the ultimate guide to creating soft, moist, and irresistible meatballs.
Let's cook with our recipes!
FAMILY SECRET MEATBALLS AND SAUCE
My husband would eat this for dinner every night if I would let him. It took his family 10 years of marriage to share this secret recipe with me (apparently, I wasn't family yet), so now I'm sharing it with the world. Hope you like it!
Provided by PrimalMama
Categories Main Dish Recipes Meatball Recipes
Time 1h45m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Mix together the ground beef, rolled oats, 6 tablespoons of sweet onion, milk, salt, and black pepper until thoroughly combined. Roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs, and place meatballs into the prepared baking dish.
- In a bowl, mix the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, 4 1/2 tablespoons of sweet onion, apple cider vinegar, and water until the sugar has dissolved, and pour the sauce evenly over the meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs and sauce in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling and thickened and the meatballs are no longer pink inside, about 1 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 319.1 calories, Carbohydrate 25.2 g, Cholesterol 71.3 mg, Fat 14.5 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 21.9 g, SaturatedFat 5.7 g, Sodium 1079.8 mg, Sugar 17.7 g
EXCELLENT MEATBALLS
Provided by Anne Burrell
Categories main-dish
Time 1h23m
Yield 18 to 20 meatballs
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
- In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add the water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! YUM!
- Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
- Pass the tomatoes through the food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. That's all of the big money stuff! Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
- Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and freezes really well.
- Yield: 2 quarts
LIGHT AND FLUFFY MEATBALLS
Creamy ricotta cheese is the secret to keeping these meatballs tender and moist.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes Ground Beef Recipes
Yield Makes 30 meatballs
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion, cooking until soft but not colored, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.
- Combine bread and milk in a bowl to soak for 5 minutes. Squeeze excess milk from bread and finely chop. Add chopped bread to the bowl with onions. Add all the remaining ingredients except the tomato sauce. Gently fold with hands to incorporate ingredients, but do not overmix or meatballs will be tough.
- Bring tomato sauce to a simmer in a large deep-sided skillet. Pinch 1/4 cup of the meat mixture and gently form a ball with wet hands. Drop the meatballs, as they are formed, directly into the sauce. Cover and simmer, stirring carefully a few times until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve meatballs with sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.
SUPER MOIST ITALIAN MEATBALLS
Craving some tender and juicy meatballs?? Give this recipe a try! The two secrets are the extra eggs, and cooking the meatballs in the sauce, instead of pre-baking or frying them. Ground chuck or a 50/50 mix of chuck and sirloin work best for full flavor and moistness.
Provided by ItalianMan
Categories Meat
Time 1h5m
Yield 25-30 meatballs, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, garlic, pepper, salt, and wine. Mix well.
- Shape mixture into 1-1/2" or 2" meatballs.
- In a large pot, bring sauce to a boil. Add meatballs one at a time, and simmer over medium-low heat for 40-45 minutes.
- Serve over pasta, or on hoagie buns for meatball subs.
Tips:
- Use fresh, high-quality ground meat: Fresh ground beef is key to tender meatballs. Avoid using ground beef that is more than a couple of days old, as it will be less flavorful and more likely to be tough.
- Soak the bread crumbs in milk: Soaking the bread crumbs in milk helps to keep the meatballs moist and tender. You can use any type of bread crumbs, but fresh bread crumbs will give the meatballs a lighter texture.
- Don't overmix the meatball mixture: Overmixing the meatball mixture will make the meatballs tough. Mix the ingredients just until they are combined.
- Chill the meatball mixture before cooking: Chilling the meatball mixture for at least 30 minutes helps to firm up the meatballs and make them easier to handle.
- Cook the meatballs in a flavorful sauce: Cooking the meatballs in a flavorful sauce helps to keep them moist and tender. You can use any type of sauce you like, but a tomato-based sauce is a classic choice.
- Don't overcook the meatballs: Overcooking the meatballs will make them tough. Cook the meatballs until they are just cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
Conclusion:
Making soft and tender meatballs is easy if you follow a few simple tips. Use fresh, high-quality ground meat, soak the bread crumbs in milk, don't overmix the meatball mixture, chill the meatball mixture before cooking, cook the meatballs in a flavorful sauce, and don't overcook the meatballs. With these tips, you'll be able to make delicious, soft meatballs that everyone will love.
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