How To Make Meatballs: The Easiest, Simplest Method
Yes, this is a recipe for those very meatballs. More than a recipe — I'm walking you through each step, from mixing the meat (use your hands!) to shaping the meatballs to cooking them to perfection. I know what I'm having for dinner tonight. I don't want to make anything too complicated here — meatballs are comfort food and should therefore be kept simple — but let me just touch on some basics. You can use any ground meat or mix of ground meat you like.
My personal favorite is a blend of ground beef and pork. I've also done just ground beef and just pork. Ground lamb, turkey, chicken, veal, or buffalo are all also fair game. Keep in mind that the fattier the meat you use, the more tender your meatballs, and vice versa if you use leaner meats. If you want to make meatballs with turkey, chicken, or lean ground meat (or a mix of these), watch the cooking a little more carefully; because they lack fat, they can overcook and become tough much more quickly.
One trick to making sure meatballs are totally tender once they're cooked is to use a binder. Here, we're soaking breadcrumbs in a little milk until the bread becomes soggy, then mixing that right into the meat. This binder (aka panade) helps add moisture to the meatballs and also prevents the meat proteins from shrinking and becoming tough. Eggs also contribute to tenderness, so don't skip them!
If you don't have breadcrumbs handy, you can use panko, a slice of torn-up bread, or even crumbled saltine crackers. A little yogurt or buttermilk thinned with water also makes a handy stand-in for the milk. Another trick to tender meatballs is not overworking the meat — mix the meat with the binder and other ingredients just until they're combined. I also recommend using your hands for this step; since you can actually feel when things are mixed, you're less likely to overwork the meat.
This said, I understand why the idea of squishing meat with your fingers might be a little disconcerting. If you prefer, you can use a stiff spatula or spoon instead. Last but not least, we should talk about how to cook the meatballs! You have two options: roasting them or simmering them in a sauce. Roasting: Roasting is the best option if you're planning on serving the meatballs in something other than a sauce or if you're planning to freeze the meatballs for later.
Roasting also gives the meatballs a little more flavor since the outside sears in the heat of the oven. You can roast the meatballs under the broiler for maximum browning and crispy-edged effect, or you can cook them more gently by roasting in a hot oven. Both options are described below.
Simmering: If you're planning on serving the meatballs with a sauce, you can also cook the meatballs right along with the sauce. Not only does this gentle simmering make some of the most tender and most flavorful meatballs you've ever had, but the sauce also becomes richer and more savory in the process.
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