Recipes

[skuggles]

I was taught that the secret to a soft meatball is not in how you cook it,(I've fried and baked), but in not overworking the raw mix. Mix just enough to distribute the ingredients evenly. They should barely hold together when you roll them. And they should feel soft in your hands meaning not too dry.

[NoelSeven]

I agree about not overworking the meat. I think it's also about adding something like breadcrumbs, oats, etc.

[RespectLife]

Our family also used the stale bread soaked in milk, always. If I didn't have stale bread, I would only sub Panko as they lend to a softer meatball. Totally agree with skuggles not to overwork the meat is critical. I recently read to add ricotta to the meat and it truly was a delicious meatball. I think it was from Fabio, the cute chef, not the old model.

[Kat 13]

On 8/4/2014 BLH said:

On 8/4/2014 curlywhitedog said:

The best way to achieve a soft meatball is to cook it in the sauce itself. No matter if you use bread soaked in milk or breadcrumbs, you'll always end up with a soft meatball if it's cooked in the sauce. That's been my experience anyway.

Maria

I agree 100% I don't brown them first. I put them raw right into the simmering sauce.

Hi..

I owned a Pizza Place for years.....Sold tons of my famous Meatballs.

Make sure to use MILK and SOFT WHITE BREAD mixed in with
the usual dry crumbs. (Put a couple of slices in the food processor)
Also.....use more eggs than you normally would.
The Meatballs should feel a little sticky when forming.
Cook the balls RAW in a THIN GRAVY......It will thicken as the balls cook....

AND YES.......IT IS GRAVY.............NOT SAUCE

[stilltamn8r]

pssssst! If you want to keep your meatballs soft, Never let them watch the salad dressing!

[magicmoodz]

On 8/4/2014 magicmoodz said:

Conversely, I use 2 eggs to 1 lb. of ground beef or turkey. I also add garlic, about 1/4 cup milk Italian breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. I brown in a frying pan and then add to sauce.

My meatballs are always soft (sometimes fall apart soft! LOL).

One more thing! When I initially read not to overwork/mix the meat, rather than rolling the meatballs by hand, I use a small ice cream scoop. Keeps my hands clean and really saves time!

[151949]

On 8/4/2014 BLH said:

On 8/4/2014 curlywhitedog said:

The best way to achieve a soft meatball is to cook it in the sauce itself. No matter if you use bread soaked in milk or breadcrumbs, you'll always end up with a soft meatball if it's cooked in the sauce. That's been my experience anyway.

Maria

I agree 100% I don't brown them first. I put them raw right into the simmering sauce.

i agree with this too and I use a combo of beef, pork and veal.

[Pook]

I add some of the sauce to the meat mix and some ground pork or ground pepperoni, eggs and seasoned bread crumbs. I keep the mix a little soft and don't make it solid. I also use an ice cream scoop. I always bake mine some then put them in the sauce to finish cooking. I don't hand mix as that can make them tough if you overwork it. I use my hand mixer with the dough hooks. When using ground turkey there is more of a chance they will come out tough and rubbery so Use some dark meat also and not all white.

[house_cat]

Pardon me if someone already said this - I haven't read all the responses.

I prefer turkey meatballs, but you are not likely to get the soft texture that you'll get with a fattier meat. My mom always made them with beef, pork and veal. I will not cook veal, but the beef/pork combo makes nice moist meatballs.

Since I started using turkey for meatballs I began using fresh breadcrumbs instead of the dry ones. I think this makes them a little softer.

I always brown mine in a skillet with a tiny bit of olive oil then plop them into the sauce. I only make meatballs if I am making sauce from scratch, as they need a lot of time simmering in the sauce to become tender.

Also, add some milk into your meat mixture. I don't know why this helps but I have always heard that it does. Be careful not to overwork the meat. I mix mine by hand, literally - I think this keeps the mixture from getting tough.

My grandma used to drop the raw meatballs right into the sauce, but as kids we didn't like them this way. We called them "Grandma's mushy meatballs".

[mousiegirl]

The key is the amount of bread crumbs, I use panko, eggs (I use a lot) and milk, and of course there has to be some fat in the meat(s). I made up my own recipe after years of making them according to difference recipes, and they are the fluffiest and best I have ever tasted. I used to fry them, but now bake them, it is just easier than frying, on a high heat so that the tops and bottoms get brown, then remove them. You mustn't cook them, because that will be done in the pot of sauce. After removing from the oven, place them in the sauce and gently simmer until they are cooked inside, basically they are steaming in the sauce. I also make them on the med/large size which also helps to keep them moist/soft on the inside