Meatball Recipes: 50 Delicious of Meatball Cookbook (Meatball Recipe, Meatball Shop Cookbook, Meatball Cookbook, Meatball Recipes, Meatball Cookbooks)
If your mental image of a meatball is a tough, dry, boring piece of ground meat drowning in a greasy, flavorless sauce, think again! This collection of hand-picked recipes is designed to turn the concept of the much-loved (but rarely well-executed) meatball on its head, and propel those flavorful little gems into the spotlight at your next meal or get together.
As this collection attempts to showcase, the meatball is a playful and inspiring medium that allows home chefs to experiment with new and exciting flavor combinations to surprise and delight their families and house guests. Whether you are skilled in the kitchen or not, you too can craft tender, flavorful and satisfying meals and appetizers by following the simple and straight forward recipes highlighted here. With this collection in your arsenal, you'll be equipped with foolproof go-to recipes that are easy to follow and incredibly delicious.
While several traditional recipes are included in this collection, including Classic Italian Beef Meatballs and variations thereof, creative and unique recipes are also presented for your enjoyment. As nearly every region enjoys a variation of the meatball in their local cuisine, several global recipes are featured, including Swedish Meatballs, Asian Pork Meatballs, Mexican Meatballs, and even Middle Eastern Meatballs ("Kofte"). You will be surprised how versatile the meatball is and, after trying your hand at these recipes, you will possess all of the skill and inspiration you need to create your own flavor combinations with the ingredients you love.
When purchasing ground meat in preparation for your meatball adventures, you should focus on high quality proteins that have a higher fat content. 80/20 (80 percent lean, 20 percent fat) ground beef is an excellent choice for beef meatballs. The fat will guarantee that you will not end up with a tough, dry meatball. If you are unsure how to determine the fat content of the meat you are purchasing, your local butcher can assist you.
As you will see in this collection, ground beef is not the sole star of the show when it comes to creating healthy and delicious meatballs your family will enjoy. In fact, many of these recipes call for other ground proteins, such as chicken, turkey or pork. Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are perfect for a game day snack or spicy cocktail party appetizer, while the Minty Lamb Meatballs would be great as part of a holiday meal.
Each recipe contains a suggested protein that works well with the listed ingredients, but you can always substitute one ground meat for another depending on dietary restrictions, or simply what ingredients you have on hand. Also, you can adjust the size of your meatballs to yield fewer, larger meatballs (great for a main course) or more, smaller meatballs (perfect for an appetizer, snack or side dish). Be sure to always cook your meatballs throughout, and keep in mind that larger meatballs will take slightly longer. Use a meat thermometer if you are uncertain.
If you'd like to forego meat all together, or if you're preparing food for a vegetarian crowd, you can still rely on recipes that utilize the classic meatball techniques. Try the Thai Shrimp balls, Chinese Fish Balls, or the Meatless Meatball Subs, which are made from protein packed chickpeas.
