Homemade meatballs are hard to beat. While the pre-made version works for a quick meal you’ll have to make your own if you want the real deal. Meatballs are pretty basic: a mix of beef and spices (though you can certainly add other elements like pork or veal) plus minced onion garlic and fresh herbs. However if you’re mixing everything together before forming balls be careful not to overwork the meat; it could ruin the dish you’ve worked so hard to make.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
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 Mashed | 2023-05-31 01:00:17 |  13,694 Views |
Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Meatballs
When mixing only mix the meat as much as you need to thoroughly combine the ingredients. This will keep the meat tender and prevent it from becoming too tough as it cooks. Also to prevent the meat from drying out choose something with a high fat content. It’s best to use 80% lean beef but you can also use 85% lean beef but anything with 90% or more can result in dry meatballs (unless combined with another type of meat) because it has less fat and less moisture.
You want the meatballs to hold their shape but still be as tender and fall-apart as possible. If you continue to mix the meat after it's all mixed it will resemble the consistency of sausages instead of a softly mixed burger. Plus you'll notice that chewier texture the moment you bite into it.
To further enhance the texture try playing around with different meat ratios. While meatballs only require ground beef other meats like pork or veal will not only add more flavor but also give the dish a more unique texture. They also add extra fat to the meatballs to enhance the moistness and flavor. Fresh garlic or minced sweet onion also help build the flavor and both of these things only taste better when cooked. Plus it adds a bit of a different crunch compared to the tenderness of the meat alone.
