Meatball Tips

By Lily Barberio

Choose ground meat with some fat in it to help bind the mixture and produce juicier and tastier meatballs.
Blend different types of meat, such as pork and beef, for more complex flavors.
Mix chopped meat with bread crumbs for firm meatballs. For soft, light ones, use crustless bread cubes soaked in milk or water; make sure to mix the ingredients and shape the meatballs gently.
Allow cooked ingredients to cool before adding raw chopped meat.
If specific amounts of salt and pepper are not indicated, sauté a small amount of the meatball mixture and taste it for seasoning before cooking the rest.
Refrigerate the raw meatballs overnight or freeze them.

Published May 2000