Meatballs with Pizzaiola Tomato Sauce. Italy. Europe. (Photo by: Eddy Buttarelli/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Food - Drink
The Easy Way To Ensure Juicy Meatballs
By NATASHA GEORGAKIS
There are many reasons why meatballs might turn out dry, including overcooking or not using the right combination of ingredients in your meat mixture. When meat is cooked, protein fibers tighten and contract during cooking, and poor technique can exacerbate this process and suck the moisture out of the meatballs.
One way to prevent dry meatballs is to add a good binding agent in your meat mixture, which adds texture, volume, and lightness to ensure a tender and juicy texture. The perfect binder for juicy meatballs is a panade, which means “bread mash,” a combination of liquid and starch (usually milk and bread).
To make panade for meatballs, use equal parts crustless, day-old bread (or breadcrumbs) and milk, plus one egg per pound of meat. Soak the bread in the milk until it becomes a paste, then combine with the minced meat and eggs; mix the meat and the eggs together first before adding the panade for uniform and juicy meatballs.