Take classic Italian-American meatballs, for instance. We
learned the ins and outs of meat loaf here and of sausages
here. With that knowledge, we basically know all there is to
know technique-wise about those meatballs. In essence,
Italian-American meatballs are nothing more than tiny
spherical meat loaves with a few sausage-like properties,
simmered in a rich, meaty tomato sauce. (If you’re Italian,
don’t tell your grandmother I said that.) Sure, they don’t
usually have the same set of aromatics as meat loaf, but in
terms of basic technique, they are nearly identical. So
anyone who’s ever made meat loaf knows how to make
meatballs, and vice versa. If only all of life were this easy!
Rather than the onions, carrots, and celery I use in my meat
loaf mix, I limit my meatballs to a simpler flavoring blend of
garlic, parsley, and Parmesan cheese, making them even
easier to form.
Meatball Texture
On the spectrum of sausage to meat loaf, a meatball falls
much closer to the meat loaf end, but there should be one
sausage-like characteristic about them—namely a bit of
bounce to their bite. How to go about getting it?
My first thought was the salt. I know that if I salt my
sausage meat and let it rest before mixing it, it gives the
sausages a bouncier, tighter texture. It works exactly the
same way for meatballs. I made two batches of meatballs
side by side. One was mixed right after seasoning, the other
was left to sit for 30 minutes before mixing. The batch that
rested had a markedly more cohesive texture, with a nice
resilient bounce. I also tried mechanically kneading the balls