Create the perfect meatball

With all the bustle of back to school, cooking dinner can become a daily hurdle for a busy family. One of the easiest ways to pull together a meal is also one of the oldest ways: make meatballs. While the origins of the dish aren’t clear, the general outlines of the recipe appear in almost every culture and have been around for thousands of years. 

From lamb to beef to mixtures of several meats, the approach is the same: combine minced or ground meat with seasonings and form small balls of the mixture to cook in a thick sauce. Meatball are appealing to the frugal cooks among us because of their simplicity to prepare and the affordability of (most of) the ingredients. 

Meatball recipes allow you to select cheaper cuts of meat (which are often packed with more flavor than leaner cuts) and give you the opportunity to feed more people with less meat by incorporating bread, egg, milk and onions. 

While there are thousands upon thousands of meatball recipes, one thing that keeps meatballs tender is the addition of a panade. Simply defined, this is a mixture of starch and liquid that is added to ground meat. Any starch (bread cubes, cracker crumbs, panko) can be combined with any liquid (milk, buttermilk, yogurt, broth or stock). 

A panade works primarily to add moisture. When the muscle fibers of meat are ground into small pieces, soluble proteins are released. With the addition of a panade, bread starch which has absorbed the liquid forms a paste which coats these proteins, helping them to retain moisture and maintain the shape of the meatball. 

Without the panade, as the meatballs cook, the proteins contract, tightening the texture and squeezing out needed moisture. Cooks who try to limit the amount of “filler” may be causing their meatballs to become dry and tough instead of moist and tender. The choice of which starch and which liquid can also make a difference. 

Dried breadcrumbs, including panko, will produce a dry-ish, dense meatball. On the other hand, freshly cubed bread soaked in buttermilk does the opposite. The time it takes for the bread cubes to dissolve in the buttermilk (usually just a few minutes) is well worth the investment. While cow’s milk or nut milk are potential options, the tart notes from the buttermilk add to the flavor and help balance some of the fattiness of the meat. 

The next step to creating a perfect meatball is choosing your seasonings. This will be driven by the flavor profile you are seeking. If you are making Swedish meatballs, the mixture will need nutmeg, or if you’re making Italian-style meatballs, add herbs such as basil, oregano and marjoram. No matter which sauce and seasoning you select, the addition of gently sautéed shallot or grated onion gives meatballs extra flavor. Forming the meatballs calls for a delicate touch. If they’re packed too tightly, they can be tough and chewy; too loose and they amy fall apart. Moisten your hands with water or coat them with oil so the mixture won’t stick, and you can quickly and gently form the meatballs. Alternatively, use a small ice cream scoop to fashion meatballs. 

There are two sides to the debate about the best way to cook the meatballs: either bake them first, then add them to the sauce or poach them for an hour in a pot of barely simmering sauce. I’ve tried both ways and the only notable difference to cooking them first is a slight crust on the outside versus very tender and soft texture. It all depends on your preference. 

I’ve included a recipe for each approach. The Swedish meatballs in the photo need to be cooked before adding them to the gravy, otherwise you run the risk of curdling the sour cream.

The recipe for Italian-style meatballs uses the poached-in-sauce technique. The long simmer produces tempting aromas to greet your family when they come home for dinner.

Swedish Meatballs 

3 slices bread, cubed 
1 egg, beaten 
1/2 C buttermilk 
1 T olive oil 
1 diced onion 
1 lb ground beef 
1 lb ground pork 
1/4 t allspice 
1/4 t nutmeg 
1/4 t white pepper 
1/2 t salt 
4 T butter 
1/4 C flour 
1 C beef broth 
2 C vegetable broth 
3/4 C sour cream 
2 T chopped parsley 
salt & pepper, to taste 

In a small bowl, combine the bread cubes, egg and buttermilk. Stir with a fork and mash together until bread starts to dissolve; set aside. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium. Add onion and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, cooked onion, bread mixture, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Using clean hands, mix until thoroughly combined. Scoop mixture into 1-inch meatballs, using a melon baller, and add to the same skillet set over medium low heat. Cook until all sides are browned, about 4-5 minutes; remove cooked meatballs to a plate. Melt butter in the same skillet over medium, scraping up any browned buts

Whisk in flour and stir until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth and simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add meatballs and stir in sour cream; cook over low until heated through and thickened, about 5 minutes.

Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve over noodles, garnished with parsley.

Italian-style Meatballs

1 28-oz can tomato puree 
1 28-oz can peeled tomatoes 
1/4 C butter 
1 egg, beaten 
1/2 C buttermilk 
2/3 C bread cubes 
1/2 lb ground pork 
1/2 lb ground beef 
1/2 lb ground veal 
1 t salt 
1/2 t pepper 
pinch cayenne 
1 t basil 
1 t oregano 
1/4 C minced parsley 
1 grated onion 
2 grated garlic cloves 
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese 

In a large saucepan over medium-high, combine tomato puree, whole tomatoes and butter.

Add a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer. Then, lower the heat and crush the tomatoes lightly with the back of a wooden spoon.

Keep at a gentle simmer as you assemble the meatballs. In a small bowl, combine egg, bread cubes and buttermilk; stir together and set aside. Mix together pork, beef and veal in a large bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients, mixing with clean hands until thoroughly distributed. Add bread cube mixture and mix thoroughly. Gently shape into 2-inch meatballs and add each to the pot of sauce by lowering it in with a ladle. Make sure all the meatballs are fully covered by sauce and cook over low heat for at least one hour. Serve with pasta and grated Parmesan cheese.