All the world embraces the versatile meatball
Meatballs — and ‘unmeatballs’ — are loved in countries around the world
Meatballs are one of those tasty items that can be found almost everywhere in the world. There are Middle Eastern kofta, Dutch meatballs, Chinese “lion’s head” that resemble the heads of stone guardian lions, Russian kotleti, Japanese chicken tsukune, Italian meatballs, ablondigas from the Latin and Philippine worlds, and Hong Kong fish and meat balls. I love them all.
Meatballs have a specific architecture. Most western recipes contain bread or breadcrumbs, sometimes soaked in liquid (milk is often favoured).
Using 2 cups (500 mL) of crustless bread cubes softened in 1/2 cup (125 mL) liquid and 2 lbs (907 g ) of ground meat will yield very tender meatballs.
Some think using a lot of bread is “cheap” and it may originally have been a way to stretch a small amount of meat — but the proof is in the eating. You can, of course, use less, depending on the texture you like.
Mixing gently and thoroughly is another way to keep them tender. I like to use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed, turning it on and off to get everything just holding together.
This goes out the window if you’re making Asian-style meat or fish balls for soups. The meat is kept icy cold and processed to a paste to achieve the bouncy and crunchy texture with the aid of a starch and alkaline water.
The Japanese chicken meatball recipe is a hybrid; it’s mixed until sticky to bind the protein.
With eggs, yolks alone create the best texture and two yolks can be subbed for each egg. If you don’t want to have whites lingering in your fridge, use whole eggs.
To bake, broil or fry? I opt to bake because it’s the least messy way to brown them.
And for simmering in sauce, they just have to be cooked through. Simmering for a long period of time won’t make them any better.
And lastly, use an ice-cream scoop for consistent sizing. I consider scoops to be a kitchen essential.
For breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, made from game, meat, pulses, vegetables, fish and fowl, there are meatballs — or “unmeatballs” — for all. Meatballs are the great equalizer.
SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Makes: 26-30 meatballs Meatballs:
2 cups (500 mL) cubed, crustless bread, not packed 1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream 1 tbsp (15 mL) neutral flavoured vegetable oil
1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped onion
4 egg yolks
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground allspice 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg 1 1/4 tsp (6 mL) sea salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) ground white pepper
1 lb (454 g) lean ground beef
1 lb (454 g) ground pork
Sauce:
1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter 1/3 cup (80 mL) all-purpose flour
4 cups (1 L) beef broth
3/4 cup (180 mL) sour cream 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh dill
Salt to taste
1. In a large bowl, combine the 1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream and bread together. Let sit, stirring occasionally to allow the bread to soak well.
2. Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until onions become translucent. Cool.
3. Heat the oven to 400 F (205 C). Mash the bread to a paste by hand or with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
4. Add the yolks, allspice, nutmeg, salt, pepper and cooled onion. Mix thoroughly. Add the beef and pork and mix gently but thoroughly.
5. Roll into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) balls. Place on a large, rimmed, foil-lined baking sheet. There should be space around each meatball; don’t crowd them. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, to brown lightly. Whisk in the beef broth. Bring to a boil, stirring until it thickens. Add sour cream and season to taste.
7. Add the meatballs, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with dill just before serving.
JAPANESE-STYLE CHICKEN MEATBALLS
You can cook these on a grill instead of broiling them. Since that mixture is soft, baking them first makes them easier to handle on the grill. Ginger is a tenderizer so don’t let the mixture chill for more than an hour or the texture will be chalky. Use ground turkey instead of chicken if you prefer.
Makes: 22-24 meatballs
Sauce:
1/2 cup (125 mL) mirin
1/2 cup (125 mL) soy sauce 1/4 cup (60 mL) sake
1/4 cup (60 mL) sugar 1-inch (2.5-cm) piece of ginger, sliced
Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs (680 g) ground chicken thighs
1/2 cup (125 mL) panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped green onion
2 egg yolks
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp (5 mL) roasted Asian sesame oil
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) sea salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground white pepper
8 flat wooden skewers, soaked overnight in water
1. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a boil, turn to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Strain, discarding the ginger.
2. For the meatballs: Mix all of the meatball ingredients together with your hands until well combined. Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture looks sticky.
3. If you have a stand mixer, beat the mixture on low speed using the paddle attachment until the mixture looks sticky. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
5. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and oil well. There should be space around each meatball. Don’t crowd them.
6. Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) balls and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Loosen the meatballs and thread 3-4 on each skewer. Brush liberally with the sauce.
8. Set your broiler to medium and position a rack 8 inches (20 cm) away from the heat. Broil, brushing with glaze every few minutes and turning them over until the meatballs are sizzling and caramelized.