BALLS ON FIRE – the blog
Polpettine, Fleischlaibchen, Kloesse, buletten, klopse, gehaktbal , almondegas, or whatever one’s culture calls them, meatballs are a popular menu item!
NYC is in a meatball craze right now, a dish that incorporates some sort of a meatball preparation seems to have found its way on endless menus.
Perhaps its because our grandmothers toiled around with various recipes or maybe it’s the sheer simplicity of meatballs with their savory, saucy comforting way that makes us reach for another.

(Meatballs simple and delicious with a sprinkle of Italian parlsey)

Meatball Cookery 
It’s hard to mess them up: put ground meat in a bowl, add spices and chop some old baked bread, eggs, do some mixing and you’re good to start rolling them. But a delicious meatball is another story. Meatballs can include a mixture of different meats and vegetables such as pork, beef, poultry and chopped vegetables such as carrots,  celery and often onions. Various spices and herbs herbs or a mixture of both often include paprika, pepper, oregano, marjoram and rosemary. In my experience weighing the ingredients of an approved recipe is crucial to make it a success over and over again – no “winging” the recipe my friend! Weighing out spices and herbs make all the difference in meatball cookery.

A word on texture
A meatball’s texture depends on the addition of bread, eggs and foremost the  protein used in the recipe, which holds ingredients together nicely. Protein gives it the overall texture or mouth feel. A vegetarian meatball will need some help in the binding department since vegetables generally have little protein and hence little binding power. Some eggs and/or bread will bind the ingredients together. If you’d like to keep it vegetarian soy protein in powdered form does a very nice job in binding. More and more people including myself seem to do better with a no gluten type of diet hence rice or oats can be substituted for bread.

(American classic meatballs & spaghettie)  

I like to contemporize classic recipes and the following is a good example. A mix of beef and chicken assures a high protein meatball held together with the help of rolled oats, which makes a welcoming bouncy texture.

Up-to Date Meatball Recipe
(recipe yields 4 portions)

1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup white button mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil such as canola or grape seed
1 teaspoon salt
10 black pepper mill grindings
2 lb ground beef (from the shoulder)
1 lb ground chicken
2 cups rolled oats

1. In a 2-quart pot heat oil on medium heat setting and cook the vegetables for 20 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
2. Put the vegetables on a cutting board and chop finely.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. In a bowl mix beef and chicken then add oats and vegetables. Incorporate the ingredients throughout with a wooden spoon or use your hands.
5.  Form 2-inch wide meatballs and place them on a shallow oven proof tray.
6. Cook the meatballs for 35 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit when measured with a kitchen thermometer.

Chef’s Serving Suggestions:
My favorite sauces for meatballs are a simple plum tomato sauce or a pesto. Add shards of freshly shaved parmesan cheese along freshly chopped oregano sprinkled over the meatballs just before serving and this might border on perfection.