Meatballs that are not disgusting - possible?

cream+sugar

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 3:43 pm

Can any of you lovely folks help me make meatballs that aren't completely awful?

My mother's recipe (all ground beef) always came out dry and crumbly and bland and...ew, no. So since I've been married, I've always made mine with turkey. Not pretending to be healthy, they are not healthy at all, but they have a more moist texture. My family loves them this way. But I can't stand them! I hate turkey. I can't take the gamey smell, I can't take the gamey taste, and no amount of ketchup can make me not smell/taste it.

So here is what I am looking for: a chicken or beef or...something meatball recipe that comes out moist. (Not like, lamb or veal or anything fancy. Although maybe fancy, if it's wonderful.) Baked in the oven is fine, cooked in tomato sauce is fine. But not turkey. And not dry.

Is this even a thing?

Thanks!

simba

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 3:46 pm

Welcome to imamother!
Do you have the Bais Yakov cookbook? There is a say good meatball recipe there.

The ground beef p always needs an egg and some bread crumbs/ mat a meal.
I have heard people put seltzer as well.

Boca00

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 3:57 pm

Mix ground beef with ketchup, mustard, egg, spices and flavored breadcrumbs if desired.

Roll into balls and put into 9x13 pans. Mix either jellied cranberry sauce or duck sauce with tomato sauce and pour over the meatballs. Bake in the oven until done.

Blessing1

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 4:13 pm

Cook up 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can tomato juice, 2 cans water, 1/2 cup sugar. Bring to a boil. Meatball mixture: 1 pack ground beef, 2 eggs, 2-3 slices bread soaked in water, salt, pepper, garlic, 10 teaspoons sauce. Mix well form balls & drop into boiling sauce. Very moist.

Fox

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 4:21 pm

What Simba and Boca said! Meatballs are one of my go-to meals because they're easy and freeze well.

I usually use one egg per pound of ground beef, add onion/onion powder/onion soup mix, salt, pepper, and any other spices that you like. Add bread crumbs until the consistency is right for forming balls.

I've tried various sauce recipes, but my family likes marinara sauce from a jar the best. So much for refined tastes. Rolling Eyes

Here are a couple of other things you can do with the meat mixture:

* Roll it into a loaf or cylinder shape, cover with puff pastry dough, and bake for 45 minutes or so.

* Buy prepared wonton wrappers, put a meatball in each one, and fry or steam.

* Use puff pastry dough to line a 9" x 13" pan, spread the meat mixture evenly, and use a second sheet of puff pastry whole or in strips on the top.

You have now witnessed the entire sum of my culinary knowledge and creativity.

Seriously, though, I like making meatball/meatloaf variations because almost everyone likes them, including kids of guests or picky eaters, and you can use tricks to dress up an otherwise plain entree.

cream+sugar

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 5:12 pm

Thank you all so much! These sound extremely promising. The onion soup mix and soaked bread instead of breadcrumbs are especially interesting. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

Meatballs are my go-to, also, but only in the sense that I can make 50 at a time, freeze them in batches, and then just eat pasta the nights I serve them to everyone else, and pretend this is a reasonable amount of protein. You've all been so helpful, thanks!

Frummommy138

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 7:09 pm

I love the texture of chicken, light and dark mixed. Its juicy and yummy.

I don't have exact recipe, but basically put salt, pepper, crushed garlic cube, eggs, corn flakes crumbs drop of seltzer or water, then either fry in very little oil or grill in patties.

rainbow

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 9:00 pm

My family loves these: (sorry I don't have precise measurements; it's been awhile):
1 pound Ground beef or chicken, or half beef/chicken
1 grated onion (better yet, sauted diced onion)
Half a grated potato
Salt, to taste
1-2 uncooked eggs
Garlic powder, to taste.
(I've added grated zucchini as well)

Makes patties or meatballs. For meatballs, I drop balls into a pot of boiling tomato sauce. Cover, cook fifteen minutes or longer.
Add half a fresh green or red pepper to tomato sauce if you like the taste of it.

If your family is ok with gluten you can soak some bread in water, then squeeze the water out, and break up the bread and add to mixture.

Can also add some tomato sauce to the mixture. Or ketchup if you like sweet.

iammom

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 9:22 pm

simba wrote:

Welcome to imamother!
Do you have the Bais Yakov cookbook? I There is a say good meatball recipe there.

The ground beef p always needs an egg and some bread crumbs/ mat a meal.
I have heard people put seltzer as well.

Regarding the bolded - the Sweet and Sour meatballs from the BY cookbook are delicious!

happyfaces

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 9:34 pm

One pound dark chiken
One pound light chicken
Saute onion
One cup cooked rice
3 eggs
blend with a hand blender
Salt & garlic powder to taste
Scoop into tommtoe juice with water add sugar and salt to juice

mom2u

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 11:05 pm

I like it best with ground chicken. My kids love it.
Chicken mixure
1 to 1 1/2 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup cooked rice
1 onion saute
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
A little black pepper
A little bit of tomato sauce.
Sauce,
Saute an onion add 1 can tomato sauce with approx. 2 cans water about 1/2 cup sugar and 1 to2 tsp salt. I like to add a 1/2 fresh jalapeño pepper to the sauce and 2 cloves garlic. Bring to a boil and slowly add chicken balls. It can be ready an hour after it starts cooking. Usually serve it with rice and the sauce on top.

alis_al_kulana

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 11:33 pm

rainbow dash wrote:

I use the one from spice and spirit. I use the one called Italian meatball spaghetti. Always comes out soft

Same
Fox, some great ideas in your post.

Bluesky 1

Thu, Mar 08 2018, 12:57 am

The trick to meat balls is to not overcook. I fry my balls lightly before I cook them, keeps moisture in. I have found that the Jewish world things get cooked far too long, oh I'm from the Jewish world too. So I ve changed some of my upbringing practices. I don't cook my fish as long as well as don't bake my chicken as long. Ground meat is something that cooks very quickly. Uvercooking it makes it dry and loses moisture, I have listened to Gordon Ramsay talk about this. U could go on YouTube to watch some of his stuff, he's a major chef , in the secular world, has Michelin stars on his restaurant s. So he really knows what he's talking about. So op, whatever u put in doesn't even matter as long as you don't overcook.

DrMom

Thu, Mar 08 2018, 1:41 am

If you have such a hard time finding meatballs that aren't **disgusting**, maybe you just don't like meatballs very much and should try making something else?

I like Greek meatballs (I substitute lamb for the pork and don't serve with yogurt, obviously). Serve with fresh Greek salad (minus the feta) and rice or pita.

cream+sugar

Thu, Mar 08 2018, 8:36 am

Thank you all so much! I am really intrigued by the part light/part dark meat chicken recipes, and excited to try them. Boiling in sauce is almost certainly better than the oven, too.

I'm sorry for being hyperbolic; you're very right, I would have done better to say something like, "Meatballs I don't dislike," or something similar. I realize "disgusting" isn't very nice or objective. Thank you all!