Meatball Recipes from Around the World (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making tender meatballs? ›

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

Chef Joe Sullivan of Mulberry Street Trattoria (far right) supplied the recipe, multiplied it 520 times and supervised the multiday cooking process to create the 1,707-pound, 8-ounce meatball.

The most likely candidate for the original meatball seems to be kofta, a dish of minced or ground beef, chicken, pork, or lamb, mixed with rice, bulgur, or mashed lentils. Now typically fashioned into cigar-sized cylinders, kofta seems to have originated with the Persians, who passed it to the Arabs.

When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

Ikea sells more than 1 billion meatballs annually.

Many sources say the first meatball was made in ancient Persia, but this is debated by food scholars. Nevertheless, these meatballs, called kofta, caught on and inspired new recipes as the Persians traded with neighboring countries and exchanged goods and knowledge.

A quick guide to figure out how many meatballs you need is as follows: If you are serving 2-ounce meatballs you should plan on having 3 meatballs per person. Therefore, for 50 people you will need 150 2-ounce meatballs. These will also be 2-inch meatballs or the size of a golf ball.

Italian-style meatballs often include additional ingredients such as milk, olive oil, ground pork, fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and sometimes a combination of ground beef, veal, and pork [2].

How are Swedish meatballs different from American meatballs? ›

While both varieties include ingredients such as grated onion and panade (milk-soaked bread) or bread crumbs, plus the usual salt and pepper, Swedish meatballs traditionally use spices like allspice, nutmeg, white pepper, and sometimes ground ginger as flavoring.

In China, eaters have enjoyed “Four Joy Meatballs” since the Qin Dynasty. And we know that ancient Romans made meatballs often, thanks to the 1st century cookbook Apicius that still survives today. However, the meatball is thought to have originated in ancient Persia.

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Breadcrumbs: I add breadcrumbs for texture. I also love substituting them for crushed saltine crackers like we do for this meatloaf. Milk: Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked. Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked.

Tenderizing the Meat:

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

We're talking about the fat content of your meat. If you want to walk away with 100% profit, you should use ground meat that's at least 20% fat. A higher fat content ensures that your meatballs stay juicy. If you've ever had a sad, dry meatball, a lean fat content is most likely one of the reasons why.

Bind but don't overwork

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart.