The Reason You Need To Season The Meat For Meatballs
When one thinks of meatballs, the quintessential spaghetti and meatballs dish may come to mind. Or, if you're a fan of Subway, you may have been so inclined to order a meatball marinara sub at one point in time. And if we stretch our imaginations to the ends of the Earth, we'll find all kinds of variations of meatballs in countries like Morocco, Bangladesh, and Spain, per Serious Eats.
Meatballs are one of those foods that adhere to many types of soups and savory sauces. Take köttbullar, for instance. Commonly found in the cafeterias of Ikea stores, these spiced meatballs are often topped with gravy and served alongside lingonberry jam, cucumbers, and mashed potatoes, per SpiceBreeze. Not a fan of sauces? Try Romania's chiftele, which are deep-fried meatballs that contain a host of ingredients, like mashed potatoes, minced meat, garlic, and onions, via Taste Atlas.
But no matter where you are in the world or what recipe you're trying out, the meat that you use for meatballs needs to be seasoned. Here's why.
No one likes bland meatballs
Okay, so maybe this is one of those captain obvious things, but it's worth reiterating: season your food, especially when it comes to meatballs. Seasonings like garlic, oregano, Italian parsley, and red pepper flakes all help to elevate the savory notes of meatballs, as well as pay homage to classic Italian cooking, per Spiceography. Without any seasoning (as well as the correct amount), the meatballs will turn out bland and flavorless, and that's something that the best pasta sauce can't even save via Kitchn. Cookist also describes how food loses flavor as it cooks, which makes it even more important to season it properly.
Now, if you're thinking, "But I can't taste the seasoning since it's mixed with raw meat," we hear you. To this, Kitchn suggests making a little patty from the mixture, cooking it, and then tasting it to make sure the seasoning is on point. If it's not, add a little more to the meatball mixture and repeat the above steps. Mistakes happen when making meatballs, and not seasoning the meaty mixture shouldn't be one of them. So whether you're making a bowl of pasta or grilled skewered meatballs, put in a little extra effort to get the seasoning just right.