Meatball 911 - Recipes/suggestions wanted.......

[disney4us2002]

I have zero success with meatballs. I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong but my meatballs just don't hold together and turn into mush in my sauce. Does this mean I'm using too much filler, are they too wet, not the right kind of meat, etc?

Please give me your favorite recipes, including how you are cooking them. Thanks.

 

[phillybeth]

Are you cooking them before you put them in the sauce?

 

[JerseyJanice]

It's either what you're putting in them OR that the temperature of the sauce you're cooking them in isn't hot enough when you add the meatballs.

I don't use a recipe per se (I don't for most things I cook). I start with about 1 1/2 of ground beef or meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork and veal). I add about 1/2 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs, 2 eggs, 2 or 3 cloves of garlic (chopped fine), a few tablespoons of grated cheese, and a teaspoon or so of salt and pepper.

I mix it well, then roll into 1 1/2 inch diameter balls, and add them to bubbling hot tomato sauce (that I just made). I keep the flame on medium and stir it very gently. When it comes back up to a good simmer, I turn the heat down and cover it partially. Then I cook it on low about 1 1/2 hours.

For tomato sauce in this case, I cover the bottom of a dutch oven with olive oil. I add 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (chopped fine) and one medium onion (almost chopped fine). I heat this up to a sizzle, then add about a tablespoon of tomato paste. Mix well, then add one large can of crushed tomatoes in puree and one can of water. Add a tablespoon or so of dried Italian seasoning (I like McCormick), a tablespoon or so of sugar, a teaspoon each of salt and paper, and a splash of red wine.

Mix well and turn the heat up to medium, get it bubbling hot, then add the raw meatballs (directed above).

 

[disney4us2002]

I don't really measure either but typically I use 1lb of lean ground beef, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 egg, salt & pepper, garlic & onion powder, and some of the sauce. Then I shape them into 1 1/2" balls and fry them, then put them in the sauce which is usually pretty hot already. I only continue cooking them about another 10 minutes in the sauce. I have also tried baking the meatballs before dropping them into the sauce but they always end up turning to mush.

So? Should I leave out the sauce in the meatball mix or add another egg or try the uncooked way? This is why I usually just scramble the beef and make meat sauce, lol.

 

[phillybeth]

I would leave out the sauce, or mix the sauce and the breadcrumbs together into a paste. If they are still too loose try another egg. If they are STILL too loose, try working the meat more before shaping- mixing activates the proteins that toughen meat.
Make sure they are fried HARD- not just a little brown on the outside, but brown and crusty all over. Also, let them cool before you put them in the sauce.

 

[N.Bailey]

I don't use a recipe either. I make mine all ahead and freeze them. I then pull them out as needed for spaghetti, or even meatball sandwiches. Heck, sometimes I toss a couple in the microwave and have a quick snack.

I start with about, 10 pounds of ground beef. I add maybe 3-4 onion, 6 eggs, a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce, and I mix all that up. It's really wet at this time. I then slowly add Italian bread crumbs until that real wet feeling goes away (it takes a good bit of bread crumb) and the ground beef is really staying together nicely.

I don't know how big they are, but I make pretty small meatballs. I then cook them in a skillet. I've heard some bake them, but I like the browning they get in the skillet. Once they're all cooked (and everyone eats em the entire time I'm making them) drained (on paper towels) and cooled, I put them on a layer of wax paper on a cookie sheet and toss em in the freezer for flash freezing. I then combine them in a zip lock back and freeze them together. The flash freezing keeps them from sticking together while frozen. You can then pull out however many you need and you probably won't have to make them very often. You'll have about 2 bags depending on what type ground beef you bought. Personally, I think that really fatty beef doesn't taste as good.

I do save the seasonings for the spaghetti sauce though. I'm not sure how flavors might change after being frozen and I'd just soon not mess with that. BTW, everyone who has ever ate them loved them!

 

[mkymouse4ever]

I don't even cook and have made these and I think I am at the magic kingdom. These are the Original ones. The version they had for years and changed just a few years ago. I followed the reciepe as written and they have turned out perfect each time.

Taken from "cooking with mickey" version II

Tony's Italian Meatballs

11/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage bulk
1/4 cup onions, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper ground
2 tsp. oregano
11/2 tsp. garlic granulated
2 tsp. parsley flakes, dried
1 egg
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp. basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Refrigerate for 4 hours before making into meatballs.
Prepare meatballs about the size of golfballs and place on a cookie sheet side by side.
Cook in oven for 15 to 20 minutes minutes, or until firm to touch.

Bon Apeitite'

Mky

 

[N.Bailey]

I don't really measure either but typically I use 1lb of lean ground beef, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 egg, salt & pepper, garlic & onion powder, and some of the sauce. Then I shape them into 1 1/2" balls and fry them, then put them in the sauce which is usually pretty hot already. I only continue cooking them about another 10 minutes in the sauce. I have also tried baking the meatballs before dropping them into the sauce but they always end up turning to mush.

So? Should I leave out the sauce in the meatball mix or add another egg or try the uncooked way? This is why I usually just scramble the beef and make meat sauce, lol.

Leave the sauce out of the meatball and I would highly suggest you not put raw ground beef into your sauce. For one thing, you might not get it cooked thoroughly and 2nd, you'd have no way of getting that grease out of your sauce.

I know this is stupid, but when I make burgers, meat loaf, or meatballs I really mix everything up because I can't stand to bite into a burger that's got little air pockets in it. LOL It just ruins the whole thing for me! I really take the time to form all my meatballs perfectly and I do the same when grilling burgers.

I really think you'll do okay though by leaving that sauce out. They're much better when you get those sides nice and browned up too.

 

[clh2]

We've always baked our meatballs before putting them in the sauce. We use a broiler pan - so the grease will drip into the bottom part of the pan. We cook them until they are really brown.

 

[N.Bailey]

Oh, and my onion is always put thru the food processor and finely chopped. My meatballs are small, and I just don't like big chunks of onion. Of course, I grind my onion for potato salad and the onion when I make Philly cheese steaks too.

 

[N.Bailey]

We've always baked our meatballs before putting them in the sauce. We use a broiler pan - so the grease will drip into the bottom part of the pan. We cook them until they are really brown.

I've heard that a lot of people do this. I've never tried it. I just love how they taste from the skillet and haven't seen a need a try anything else. Maybe I'll give it a try for a batch next time I make them.

 

[Humphrey1227]

Mkymouse4ever,

Thanks so much for that reciepe I loved those meatballs! I'm gonna make them tommorrow.

 

[Marseeya]

I buy mine frozen! No muss, no fuss.

 

[Minnesota!]

I take 1.5 - 2Lb of beef. Throw in a bowl with 1/2 cup parmesean cheese, some onion powder, and some garlic salt. Form into balls. Fry to get the grease off (but not cooked through), and put in the sauce. I cook for an hour in the sauce. I have never had them fall apart and people LOVE them..

 

[Trish Bessette]

Wow, now you all got me craving meatballs!!

 

[WDWAurora]

I microwave mine...I just do 1lb ground beef, 1 egg, and about 1/2 cup bread crumbs. I mix it all up and make them whatever size I want. The microwaving takes about 3-3.5 minutes depending on the size. I did a double batch last time and did them the same way, just doubled everything. My family never made them, but that's how DMIL makes them, so since I learned from her that's how I do it. Not hard at all!

 

[Lisa F]

Another microwaver here. It really works! I learned that method from my mom.

I also make my meatballs small (about 3/4 oz in weight, 1" or so in size) because I prefer them smaller. Also try hard to not overmix the meat, the more you handle ground beef the tougher the meatballs become. I just roll them up and nuke until brown and them put them in the sauce and let them cook for hours. They don't fall apart but they do taste yummy.

 

[conciergekelly]

I don't use any filler. I just make groud beef into balls and bake them on a broilerpan and then quick fry them to brown. They seem to hold up just fine.

 

[puffkin]

I buy mine frozen! No muss, no fuss.

Me too! The brand they sell at our local walmart supercenter are really good. Easy, no mess, and cheap! I didn't know people still made their own meatballs

 

[Laurajean1014]

Here's a thread that had this very question. Some interesting recipes....

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=849169&highlight=meatball+recipe