The
Art
of a
Meatball
The Art
of a
Meatball
The Art of a Meatball
A Step-by-step Recipe
A
Step-by-step
Recipe
A Step-by-step Recipe
Introduction
The meatball. It’s juicy. It’s flavorful. It’s an Italian classic.
It also requires technical skill, creative flair, and precise execution. The hours spent in the kitchen may be long, but when done well, the meatball is a work of art—worth the wait. The Art of a Meatball is your guide to getting it right. Now, let’s get the ball rolling!
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yields 16 meatballs
Ingredients
- Beef / Pork / Veal
- Grated Cheese
- Breadcrumbs
- Eggs
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- Water
- Tomato Sauce
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- 2 ½ - 3 Pounds
- ½ Cup
- 1 ½ Cup
- 2 Full
- 2 Cloves
- 3 Tablespoons
- 3 Teaspoons
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cups Divided
- 2 Quarts
Mixing
There’s a lot more to mixing than meets the eye. This step can make or break your final product, giving you a meatball that binds together nice and tight (yes!) or one that crumbles on your plate (oh no!).
Here we go! Add breadcrumbs and water to a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix it up until all of the breadcrumbs have absorbed water evenly.
Add the meat to the bowl. If you’re using a combination of ground meats, make sure they’re all mixed together before adding them to the breadcrumbs.
Mix thoroughly. It’s okay to get your hands dirty here. You want to distribute the breadcrumbs evenly to prevent inconsistencies in the final product.
Here's the fun part. Add the egg, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper and mix with your hands until the mixture is completely consistent throughout.
Here's a tip. If the meat is too sticky, mix in up to ⅛ of a cup of water, little by little, until you get the right consistency. Be careful! Adding too much water will cause you to lose that firm bind you want.
Meanwhile, fire up the stove to medium-high heat and fill a large saucepan with your tomato sauce. Don’t skimp on the sauce—you want the meatballs to be fully submerged when they're ready.
Shaping
Get ready for the fun part! Shaping is where the real art comes into play, and the key to mastering it is patience. Before you shape, preheat the oven to 425°F and cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Be sure to use a big enough baking sheet so no meatballs are touching. Break out the olive oil and drizzle it over your foil-covering. Coat the foil evenly, using a brush, if necessary.
Start small. Take a bit of the meat mixture and roll it with the palms of your hands in small circles. Start out with your hands close together and roll tightly to ensure a solid core.
Add additional meat little by little until it’s 2–2½ inches in diameter (about the size of a racquetball). After each meatball is rolled to perfection, place it on the oiled baking sheet.
Baking
Once your meatballs are all rolled and on the pan, smash the garlic cloves and lay them on the foil. This will give the meatballs a hint of garlic flavor while infusing the oil on the pan (which is added to the sauce in the next step). Pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until they start to turn golden brown.
Cooking
Now your meatballs are out of the oven, and damn do they look good—but don’t sample them yet! Carefully transfer the meatballs, oil, and garlic to the pot of sauce, which should be bubbling by now. Once everything is submerged in the sauce, cover the pot, set to low, and simmer until the meatballs are fully cooked, about 30 minutes.
Plating
The moment you’ve been waiting for is here—your meatballs are ready for tasting. Carefully use a slotted spoon or tongs to lift them individually and transfer them to a bowl. Don’t get cute and try scooping up five at once—they’re packed in there like sardines, and you’ll likely break one. Save the sauce for plating, pasta, or dipping.
Enjoy
Mangia! Mangia! Serve the meatballs by themselves as an appetizer garnished with a dollop of fresh ricotta, or serve them on top of sauced spaghetti with garlic bread and a glass of red wine for the complete experience.
Buon appetito!
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