Frankies' Meatballs Recipe | Cook the Book (2024)

FAQs

Why did meatballs fall apart? ›

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.

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.

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.

You only need a small amount of egg – it's there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape, and shouldn't detract from the meat's flavour or texture. Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.

Italian writers and chefs often mock the dish as pseudo-Italian or non-Italian, because in Italy meatballs are smaller and are only served with egg-based, baked pasta. However, various kinds of pasta with meat are part of the culinary tradition of Abruzzo, Apulia, Sicily, and other parts of southern Italy.

In the Abruzzo region of Italy, especially in the Province of Teramo, the meatballs are typically the size of marbles and are called polpettine [polpetˈtiːne]. In the Netherlands, meatballs are called gehaktbal, and are often served with boiled potatoes and vegetables.

Slang. an awkward, clumsy, or ineffectual person.

“Based on the results of our mapping, we can confirm that the contents of the meatballs follow the Ikea recipe and contain only beef and pork from animals raised in the U.S. and Canada,” Ikea North America spokeswoman Mona Astra Liss said in a statement.

Czech authorities alerted the discount furniture maker that they had found horsemeat in a sample of meatballs, and Ikea subsequently pulled the product from stores in 14 countries.

Beef, water, seasoning (bread crumbs [enriched bleached wheat flour {niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid}, salt, durum flour, soybean oil, shortening, leavening {sodium bicarbonate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate}, dextrose, yeast, spice extracts], soy protein ...

What does adding milk to meatballs do? ›

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.

This is especially important when working with pork, turkey and chicken, which are very wet when ground. Refrigerating gives the fat in the meat time to solidify, which helps maintain the shape. Chill your meatballs for anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.

Start with just a few meatballs in the pan, and if they fall apart, adjust the mix before doing more by either adding some breadcrumbs (to soak up extra liquid) or adding some more egg. (It doesn't have to be a whole egg; lightly scramble an egg in a bowl and then you can decide how much to pour in.)

If so I'd chop up the meatballs, mix with sauteed onion and zucchini and sauce with something like a mole sauce. The flavor of a mole sauce works with citrus so it could balance it out. A casserole could add hominy or rice to further dilute the flavor. A wrap could incorporate rice, beans, etc. to do the same.

The only thing that can happen with a lot of mixing is that the grain of the meat can break down and get smoother but even with lots of mixing you will retain that nice meatball grain. I say don't worry about overmixing, worry about making sure the ingredients and seasonings are well dispersed.

Too much time spent forming the balls can also make them tough, and you're more likely to overwork them if you can't get them off your hands. To avoid this sticky situation, keep a dish of cold water next to you as you work, and dip your fingers in as you make the balls.