Great Mediterranean Meatballs

Think you know everything there is to know about meatballs? Think again.

There are literally hundreds of different types of meatballs out there, and that doesn’t include all the different regional variations each country has on them. Who knew? Italian, Swedish, Mexican; you name it! But one palate-pleaser in particular that we wanted to share with you is the Mediterranean meatball.

So, what exactly is a meatball?

While the exact definition of a meatball is often contested, there are a few common factors. Regardless of the type of meat used and the specific spices used (not all of them use herbs), every meatball shares these commonalities:

• They’re made from any type of ground meat, including beef, pork, chicken or turkey.

• They’re shaped into balls or patties before cooking and have smooth edges.

• They’re cooked in a sauce and then either served alone or mixed with other ingredients.

While you can usually tell a meatball by its size, shape, texture and sauce, there are times when it can be difficult to identify because the meat used to make it can vary quite significantly. For example, ground pork can be substituted for beef in meatballs which is why many people will assume that lamb is what they’re eating when the dish is actually made with beef.

In fact, there is a bit of controversy surrounding the name ‘meatball’ which generally refers to any type of round meat product that is cooked in a sauce, then served alone or mixed with other ingredients.

So what does all this mean? Well, essentially, it means that if you call something a meatball, you’ll always get some debate from those who believe the dish shouldn’t be called just that.

Tips To Make The Best Meatballs

It’s your tenth attempt, but nothing helps, your meatballs fall apart one after the other during cooking. To avoid this problem, discover all our tips for making meatballs that will hold the cooking for sure.

Choose the meat of the meatballs well

Before you start cooking the meatballs , you have to know which meat to choose. The ideal is to select several kinds of mince, including pork. Their fatty chairs will allow a more manageable and less crumbly result.

Egg yolk, the classic trick for great meatballs

The best-known solution is to add an egg yolk to the ingredients for your meatball . It will serve as a binder during cooking, so the meatballs will not fall apart during cooking. Introduce the egg yolk among the condiments ( onions , coriander , cumin etc.) with the minced meat.

Bread crumbs for firm meatballs

The breadcrumbs are also a very effective binder. In a bowl, pour well-crumbled bread crumbs with a little milk. Then make a meatball stuffing by mixing the minced meat, your condiments and the bread crumbs well. You will get nice, firm meatballs that will keep their shape when cooked.

A little breadcrumbs for crispy meatballs

Breadcrumbs are also a great binder for meatballs. It also makes your dish crispy.

Print Recipe

Great Mediterranean Meatballs

Author: Anaïs Allahoum Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: 4

Description

Mediterranean meatballs consist of ground beef, onion, parsley, rice, eggs with a parmesan and italian seasoning. They are then shaped into small balls and pan fried until browned. They are served as an appetizer or side dish to pasta or vegetables.

Ingredients

Servings

• 1 pound ground beef
• ¹⁄₂ medium onion (chopped)
• 3 parsley springs (chopped)
• ³⁄₄ cups rice or quinoa (uncooked)
• 3 eggs
• ¹⁄₄ cup parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Sauce

• 2 cans tomato sauce
• ¹⁄₄ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat with a bit of oil (about 1 tbsp)

2. Brown the meatballs in batches, do not stir too often. Brown on all sides. Set aside while you make the rice.

3. In a large bowl, combine the meatballs and rice or quinoa.

4. In a small bowl, add the eggs, parsley, seasoning and parmesan cheese. Mix everything together.

5. Pour the egg mixture into your large bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

6. Mix everything together well . Be careful -- it is HOT at this point! (I added a bit more parmesan cheese.

7. After your meatballs are browned, add them to the sauce and mix with the sauce.

8. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Serve warm!

Note

-This recipe makes a lot of food. I got about 30 small balls out of this recipe, but you can easily half it if you don't want to make that much.