Page 391 - YC Cooking School

Seasoning the meatball mixture

Season the meat using this guideline: one tablespoon of salt for every 1 kg of meat.

Egg will help to bind the ingredients
The protein in the meat should work as a binding agent, but if you are including quite a lot
of seasoning, condiments and spices in your mix, add one large egg per kg of meat to help

hold it all together. Take care not to add too much egg, or you’ll end up with rigid meatballs
as the egg cooks and hardens.

Go for golfball-sized meatballs
Once you’ve made your mince mixture, it’s time to roll the meatballs. Aim for golfball size or

just a little bigger, and remember to compress them with your hands to get rid of any air
pockets. Once you’ve rolled the meatballs, you can fry them as is in a little oil or roll them in
flour before popping them into your pan. This will give the sauce a slightly thicker texture.

Frying the meatballs

Use a non-stick frying pan, as this will help the meatballs to stay together. It’s also important
that the oil is very hot before you stick meatballs in the pan. Wait until the oil starts to fume
a little and form a swirl-like texture. If the pan is hot enough, you’ll also hear a distinct ‘snap,
crackle and pop’ as the meat hits the hot pan surface. Keep turning the meatballs until they
are brown on all sides.

Time-saving tricks
If you’re pressed for time, you can make and fry the meatballs in advance.

Deglaze the pan

This is an important technique in any chef’s toolbox. Use a liquid (usually alcohol) to detach
or lift the caramelised bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan during the frying
process. These bits add invaluable flavour to the dish. You don’t want to waste them!

Bruise the thyme before adding it to the dish
Pull the thyme apart a little and bruise it. This triggers the essence and fills the dish with

more flavour.

Allow time for the flavours to exchange
Regardless of the type of sauce you cook them in, the meatballs will impart a lot of delicious
flavour to the rest of the dish. Allow about 30 minutes with the lid on the pot for maximum

flavour exchange.

Reduce the sauce
Evaporation is the best way to reduce a sauce and strengthen the flavours. Remove the lid
and let the sauce simmer away for about 40 minutes.

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