by Steven Doyle
The meatball most Americans encounter are this fat, round composition of ground meats. It works best when made from a combination of lean ground beef and fatty ground pork or veal along with moist bread or breadcrumbs, herbs, cheese, and a spot of egg to bind the whole mess together. Drenched in marinara and served atop a bowl of spaghetti, the meatball is a staple of Italian restaurants across America.
The secret is day-old bread, soaked in milk or water, to bring lightness to the mixture. When you cook beef, pork or veal for too long, it starts to get tougher. But the bread in meatballs never gets tough. Use a lot of bread and your meatballs will be perfectly tender. Some chefs contend a 50/50 mix. Continue reading
