Pizza Today - February 2025 - 33

Get a breakdown of what makes a perfect meatball
I
n many pizzerias,
meatballs are one of
the most under utilized
items on the menu.
My own included. The
ideal meatball is deeply
flavorful and juicy with a tender bite
that is somehow still cohesive. So
why relegate them to simply a side
dish when they have so much potential
and versatility? Meatballs can be
tucked into a sandwich, used to top
off a pasta dish, crumbled or cut onto
a pizza, smashed into a patty melt,
rolled into an arancini, folded into
the middle of a garlic knot, or even
used as a protein on salad.
While many cultures have their
own take on what we call a meatball,
the version most of us are familiar
with is the Italian American dish that
is made following a pretty traditional
format. This involves combining
ground beef and pork for the base,
adding in Parmesan or another aged
Italian hard cheese, some form of
breadcrumbs, garlic, spices and a
cracked egg. Of course, there are
variations that make certain ones
stand out and others fall short.
WHAT MAKES A PERFECT MEATBALL?
To
create your perfect meatball, it's
easiest to break down the components:
THE
MEAT. A pork and beef combo
is the most common, but you can
use pretty much anything: chicken,
turkey, lamb and buffalo are all great
options. The type of meat you decide
on will have a big impact on the
flavor profile as well as the texture.
The whiter meats tend to be a bit
chewier while red meats and pork
have a more tender mouth feel.
Another thing to consider is the
fat content because, as always, fat is
flavor. If you want to make them vegetarian,
there are many plant-based
" meats " out there. There are the more
common ground alternative meats,
but you can make your own base out
of eggplant or nuts as well.
THE GRIND. How coarse the
grind of the meat can change how
the meatballs form and the overall
texture of the ball.
THE STARCH. I generally use some
gluten-based starch. Anything from
breadcrumbs to bread soaked in milk
to crushed cracker or simply flour will
work. If you're trying to make them
more versatile, using a gluten-free
substitute is always an option.
THE EGGS. Don't forget your
binder. While starch helps to bring
everything together, eggs also play a
big role.
THE CHEESE. The traditional
recipes usually call for Parmigiano
Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.
Really any aged, hard Italian cheese
will do but if you want a different
flavor profile, don't be afraid to
branch out with other varieties. Sharp
cheddar and Manchego have worked
really well in the past for me.
THE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
Garlic is the obvious choice here, but
if you're changing things up, I love
everything from roasted red pepper to
fresh jalapeños to dried fruits.
THE HERBS AND SPICES. Fresh or
dried these give your meatballs a big
burst of flavor.
Once you get your base recipe
down, it's fun to change things up.
Meatballs really have endless possibilities.
Instead of a rotating pizza
special, you could capture customers
with a weekly meatball special that
you serve as a sandwich and pizza
topping. Since there are so many
pork-based pizza toppings, it's nice
to make a meatball that is made from
something else. A few ideas to get
you started:
* Apricot, feta and thyme lamb
meatballs
* Hatch chiles, sharp cheddar
and roasted garlic turkey
meatballs
* Sun-dried tomato, oregano/
basil, goat cheese and chicken
meatballs.
* Pine nut, basil, raisin and
eggplant " meat " balls
Whatever type of meatball you
decide to make, the way you plan on
serving them might change how you
form them and what cooking method
you use. For example, if I am using
them in a meatball sandwich, I like
the dough to be tighter and really
stick together. If I am putting them
on top of a pasta dish, I think that
forming them a bit looser, so they fall
apart, is texturally more appealing.
To make prep easier you can mix a
big batch of batter and then ball it up
over a few days.
Whether you are baking, frying,
steaming or braising your meatballs,
always remember to taste test. This
means pinching off a small piece of
the meatball batter and cooking it off
to see if you need to adjust anything,
salt being the most obvious.
How you cook them can change
the flavor and texture. Frying them
creates a chewier crust and seals in
all of the fat, whereas steaming them
will make for a softer, more pliable
meatball. I'm a big fan of baking
them off and then finishing them
by braising in our marinara sauce. I
also do this out of necessity since we
have exactly one oven at my shop and
that's a pizza oven.
It's not just the meatballs themselves
that you can get crafty with.
Smothering a classic meatball in
Alfredo, pesto or vodka sauce will
put a brand new spin on the dish.
If you're feeling really wild, you can
even try a BBQ sauce. The best thing
about it is that all of this works great
on pizza as well.
As you can see, there are endless
possibilities to play around with.
Meatballs are a great way to cater to
FEBRUARY 2025 / PIZZATODAY.COM / 33
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - February 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pizza Today - February 2025
