I'm making meatballs!

[InsaneApache]

Yup, I am.

Although I've cooked and baked hundreds of different dishes I've never made meatballs. The ones that go with spagetti. I've looked up a couple of recipes on the internets but I was hoping that some of you guys might have some tips for me.

Cheers in advance.

[FactionHeir]

Minced meat, egg, flour, form the mix to balls, shallow fry

Cooking wine and some chopped leek are nice for extra taste.

[KukriKhan]

Tips

1) There is no such thing as "too much" garlic

2) Cook the meatballs separate from the sauce (I oven-bake 'em); for me, there's something about a tomato-based sauce that just sucks the beefy taste out of beef; so I keep 'em separate 'til serving.

3) Meatball Size. Depending on who you're feeding: spaghetti's always a kid fav; when His Imperial Majesty, the Grandson drops by, I make 'em bite-sized 1-inchers, to his delight. For me 'n the Lads on a Football Sunday, I make them 4-inch boulders, 3 per Lad (easier for them to serve themselves, then).

[Ramses II CP]

Personally I add a good dry cheese like parmesan, remove onions, mince the garlic very fine (I want the taste, not the texture!), and make 'em in big batches because they're great leftover adds to a variety of dishes. I also like (*gasp*) store bought sauce because a really good sauce will take you all day to make anyway, and if I'm going to compromise I'll do it in the name of convenience.

Any more specific questions?

[Yoyoma1910]

Fennel seeds. It's the professional meatball makers secret weapon. Fresh ground beef, lot-sa-spices, Fennel seed. Bake in oven. Perfect. Let the beef tallow do the work, instead of some other inferior fat.

[naut]

Adding curry powder to the mix works a treat.

[InsaneApache]

Thanks guys. Adding curry powder aint an option this time. It's for my nine year old grandaughter and she doesn't do 'spicey'. Not yet anyroad. Personally I'd cram 'em full of scotch bonnets but that's just me.

[KukriKhan]

Most Scotch Bonnets have a heat rating of 100,000–350,000 Scoville Units. For comparison most jalapeños have a heat rating of 2,500 to 8,000 on the Scoville scale.

Mamma Mia, 'atz a spicey meat-a-ball!!

Yeah, have mercy on the dear girl. Ya want her to remember you fondly, not put her hand to her mouth in pain everytime she thinks of you. :)

9-year old Lass? Go sweet, I would. Roll a bit o' rosemary, basil & oregano in 'em, and make them bite-sized.

Good Luck.

[naut]

Personally I'd cram 'em full of scotch bonnets but that's just me.

100K-350K SR! What! I use home-grown Chili Padi (50K-100K SR) and Piri Piri (50K-175K SR), both of which I find really hot. I hope I never have to try Scotch Bonnets.

Edit: Yeh, what Kukri said, although I'd skip the basil, a mix of oregano, thyme, rosemary, a bit of garlic and finely chopped onion. A small amount of lemon juice may be warranted. I wouldn't cook them by frying, makes them oily, bang them in the oven either as is or in a tomato juice/sauce so as to stop them drying out.

Don't go overboard with egg, often even one is too much.

[rasoforos]

Thanks guys. Adding curry powder aint an option this time. It's for my nine year old grandaughter and she doesn't do 'spicey'. Not yet anyroad. Personally I'd cram 'em full of scotch bonnets but that's just me.

Just the fact that you are cooking for your granddaughter will ensure that they taste delicious :) <-- All the good Karma.

+ it makes me feels young since I do not even have children yet.

Cumin and aniseed (ouzo if you can) works a treat for me.

[Proletariat]

Don't forget the breadcrumbs. Take some stale italian bread and throw it in the food processor or just wrap up the bag it comes in and smash it into near powder.

[InsaneApache]

I cook for her most Sundays, it's a sort of a tradition now.

She loves my bolognaise and garlic mushrooms.* She's also keen on my roast pork with cloves and homemade apple sauce replete with cinamon. The other week we had baked sea bass with saffron potatos. It was the first time she'd seen a whole fish cooked in it's entirety. She asked me (before I baked them) if we put them back into water, would they swim off. Sadly I had to avail her of the truth.

*My recipe for garlic mushrooms.

Peel and chop finely several garlic segments.

Clean mushrooms but leave them whole.

Place into a baking tray lined with foil.

Sprinkle the garlic over them.

Chop a handful of fresh basil.

Sprinkle the basil over them.

Season to taste.

Pour over with extra virgin olive oil.

Wrap the mushrooms up in the foil.

Place in oven on gas mark 4 for 30 minutes.

Et voila!

[KukriKhan]

That tears it... it's Apache's bolognaise and garlic mushrooms tm for dinner tonight :drools:

[naut]

What type of mushrooms do you use?

[InsaneApache]

I like chestnut ones and those great big ones, I forget their name now. About as big as a saucer. Got it, Portobello.

[Pannonian]

Dunno if I'm the only one, but whenever I see the word meatballs, I immediately want to lynch someone.

[Hosakawa Tito]

I like chestnut ones and those great big ones, I forget their name now. About as big as a saucer. Got it, Portobello.

I believe you are referring to portobello shrooms, the big ones are like steaks.

My meatball recipe:

2lbs. ground beef
1 green pepper minced
1 onion minced
2-4 cloves of garlic minced
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup of Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese
2 tsp. of olive oil


I use a big soup pot to make my spaghetti & meatballs. Add the 2 tsp. of olive oil in the pot and sauté the minced green pepper, onion, garlic till the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Let this cool a few minutes while you add the bread crumbs & Romano cheese to the raw ground beef and knead & mix in a bowl with your hands till well blended. Add the sautéed green pepper, onion, garlic to the ground beef. Put your sauce in the pot and heat. Mix the pepper,onion,garlic into the raw ground beef/bread crumbs/cheese till well blended salt & pepper to taste. Form your meatballs and plop them into the sauce to cook on low. I usually cook my sauce a minimum of 2 hours.

[InsaneApache]

Delicious. I'm going to try that.

News at eleven. (tomorrow)

[Hosakawa Tito]

Give the pot a gentle stir once in a while so the bottom doesn't scorch.

[InsaneApache]

Mission acomplished. They went down a treat. Thanks to all, I tried a few of the ideas. Excellent.

[KukriKhan]

Our Hero. Good job, Gramps.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Spaghetti & meatballs is a great meal for company. Easy to prepare and fairly cheap even if you're feeding an army. Your granddaughter will think you're quite the chef. Glad it went well!

[Hooahguy]

i never liked meatballs. maybe now ill try them again.

[InsaneApache]

I'm thinking that my next thread should be;

Lobster Thermadore or splitting the atom. Your choice.

[Proletariat]

I use a big soup pot to make my spaghetti & meatballs. Add the 2 tsp. of olive oil in the pot and sauté the minced green pepper, onion, garlic till the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Let this cool a few minutes while you add the bread crumbs & Romano cheese to the raw ground beef and knead & mix in a bowl with your hands till well blended. Add the sautéed green pepper, onion, garlic to the ground beef. Put your sauce in the pot and heat. Mix the pepper,onion,garlic into the raw ground beef/bread crumbs/cheese till well blended salt & pepper to taste. Form your meatballs and plop them into the sauce to cook on low. I usually cook my sauce a minimum of 2 hours.

I thought it was strictly referred to as 'gravy' where you're from.

[Strike For The South]

I wish I knew how to cook I love to eat but can't cook.

It is my curse.

[||Lz3||]

I wish I knew how to cook I love to eat but can't cook.

It is my curse.

Texans don't cook, they make others cook for them.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Strike For The South]

Texans don't cook, they make others cook for them.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

We also make them use flour instead of corn.

[InsaneApache]

I wish I knew how to cook I love to eat but can't cook.

It is my curse.

You have to start with something easy. Perhaps a vegetable stir fry. It doesn't matter if it isn't perfect, it's about practise and trial and error. Give it a go.

[KukriKhan]

You have to start with something easy. Perhaps a vegetable stir fry. It doesn't matter if it isn't perfect, it's about practise and trial and error. Give it a go.

Yeah, wot 'e said. Plus, the 'fun' bit is cooking for more than yourself.

Momma Kukri had to work, and often odd hours, so she made sure my Sis, 4 brothers, and I knew the basics of cooking and housekeeping. Soups, cassaroles, spaghetti, chili-mac, that sort of thing.

My boys know their way around the kitchen; the oldest tending toward complicated "experiements", with about a 20% failure rate (similar to me) - the younger (28 now) opting for the "easy = good" school.