At 165 F the meatballs are still juicy, tender and flavorful because of the fat content and sauce they were simmered in. IРІР‚в„ўve given a general guideline for how long to cook them. How do you know that the meatballs are done cooking? I use a meat thermometer to check that they reach 165 F. Should you remove the oil and brown bits from the pan before adding the sauce? No! This is where a lot of the flavor will come from and itРІР‚в„ўll help a jarred sauce taste like it simmered for hours. I also use tongs to help release the meatballs and flip them. I usually take mine off between 2 and 3 minutes, it depends on the meatball and how much oil is in the pan. They will release once they are done browning. What do I do if my meatballs wonРІР‚в„ўt release from the dutch oven after browning them? They may need a little bit longer to finish browning. This builds a lot of flavor that you canРІР‚в„ўt get with just seasoning. I use a dutch oven to sear the meatballs and then the same pan to simmer the sauce on the stove top. Method - Stove Top CookingР”Вo you have to pan sear the meatballs? Pan searing gives you a lot of extra flavor, so yes, IРІР‚в„ўd recommend pan searing/browning the meatballs on two sides. They make a quick meal with some pasta, on bread or pizza. You can easily double this recipe and make a big batch for the freezer. I measure mine out to be about two ounces so it makes 14-16 meatballs. How many meatballs does this recipe make? It depends on how big you make your meatballs. If you donРІР‚в„ўt have a scale to measure two ounce meatballs, you can use an ice cream scoop or eyeball it. This will help them cook evenly while they are simmering on the stove top. I like to grab a portion and roll it between my palms until itРІР‚в„ўs just put together.Р”Вo the meatballs need to be uniform in size? Yes, so that they cook evenly.Р”Вo you need to measure each meatball individually? You donРІР‚в„ўt need to use a scale if you donРІР‚в„ўt have one, but it is important that you try to make each meatball similar in size. How tightly do you pack the meatballs? You donРІР‚в„ўt want to press them together too much because then itРІР‚в„ўll be too dense. Try not to overmix because it will make the meatballs too dense. How well do you need to mix the meatball mixture? Make sure that all the ingredients are well incorporated and no large chunks remain. But if you forget, just make sure it is well mixed before you brown them on the stove top. If youРІР‚в„ўre squeamish you can use gloves.Р”Вo you need to beat the eggs before adding them to the meatball mixture? It does help if you beat the eggs quickly with a fork before adding to the mixture. ItРІР‚в„ўs the best way to mix them thoroughly without over mixing the meatballs. How do you mix up the meatballs? With my hands.

ItРІР‚в„ўs a smaller jar and itРІР‚в„ўs the perfect amount to simmer the meatballs on the stove top without having a ton of sauce. Otherwise I just use two cups of Classico pizza sauce. What type of sauce do you use? If I have sauce already made in the freezer, IРІР‚в„ўll use that. I suggest reducing the amount of salt at the very least until you can do a test patty. However, it may change how much seasoning you need to add to the meatball mixture because they had additional salt and dried Italian seasoning incorporated. DonРІР‚в„ўt use a ton, but a little bit to flavor the meatballs is perfect.Р”В¬an you use seasoned breadcrumbs? If that is all you have in the house, you can use them. If you donРІР‚в„ўt like the smokey flavor use parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano. If you canРІР‚в„ўt find smoked mozzarella a little bit of smoked cheddar or gouda would work. That way you can adjust your seasoning to your taste.Р”В¬an you leave out the smoked mozzarella? Yes! I like the smokey flavor it adds to the meatball. The best way to check is to make a small patty of the meatball mixture and quickly pan sear it and taste it. DonРІР‚в„ўt see any dried Italian seasoning? Probably not enough. I usually make sure that the mixture LOOKS like there is plenty of seasoning. How do you know if the seasoning is correct? For a lot of things, you can taste the seasoning to ensure itРІР‚в„ўs good to go. Another solution is to grind the meat mixture yourself. If you go leaner, you run the risk of the meatball being less flavorful and drying out easier. Typically you can find it at the grocery store as РІР‚Сљmeatball mixРІР‚Сњ or РІР‚Сљmeatloaf mix.РІР‚Сњ If you canРІР‚в„ўt find this particular mix, you can make meatballs with ground beef, with 80/20 fat content. The ground mixture of pork, beef and veal gives a unique flavor and keeps the meatballs juicy. Do you have to use the 3 meat mixture? It is the preferred mixture because of the fat content and flavor profiles.

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