Category: Grub Garage
So I made homemade meatballs tonight for the second time in my life. The first time was so many years ago and I can't remember much about it other than my brother in law scarfed them like they were candy.
Anyway, where I ran into a little hitch is the browning them in the pan before cooking in the oven. After forming the meatballs, you're supposed to "brown on all sides" in a pan on the stovetop before cooking them in the oven.
So they start out round but become very irregularly shaped in the browning process. Plus, to ensure they are browning properly, I'm using my fingertips to turn them. Doable, but obviously not ideal.
Anyone have some reasonable workarounds?
Of course, there are worse things than irregularly shaped meatballs! :)
I don't worrie about the shape, or size for that matter, lol! they'll be eaten in the end, though I do try but if they don't turn out perfect oh well. I don't touch them, I just brown them as they go, and time them. Don't listen to me I'm not an expert, just rambling about how I make them... lol!
that's so cool that you're not afraid to get in there with your fingers like that. I love it. I do the same when I'm frying potatos.
Forget browning them in the oven... form your meatballs into 20 gram balls (1/2 of ground beef should yield 12 meatballs of about 20/21 grams in weight each). When you are ready to cook them, toss those bad boys in a 350 F oven for 15 minutes and they'll be cooked through... I make lamb meatballs all of the time and have yet to get sick.
Good luck to you!
Ooops, that should read "Forget browning them on the STOVE..."
I'm on my iPad and didn't catch that error.
I will use a combination of tongs and yes fingertips also for these types of things.
Just wash your hands well before you do it, and it's safe.
I should say:
Tongs are wonderful things. Metal ones. You don't end up spearing things like with a turning fork.
Oil the pan good also beforehand.
But Kate's suggestions are great for meatballs. Just putting the tongs thing out there, it's become quite popular in grill circles now, not just the blind, you typical grillmaster forums.
oh my god frying fingers huh anthony? wow! I don't know if I could do that, once I put my fingers in burning oil and I had some kind of raised thing where I retained liquid in them, ugh... lol! when I meant I don't touch them I meant I used something else to turn them over
Ah yes. Homemade hockey pucks. Good stuff.
Using fingers requires some skill and touch. I like to use mine as well.
Leo, washing isn't important, the heat kills the bad, but anyway, who cooks without washing generally? If you are at home anyway.
I wash my hands once, and after that I just cook. My brother in law, says, "a little dirt is good for you." Smile.