Want to make the sort of meatball that has people closing their eyes in joy as they eat – and coming back for thirds?
Here’s how.
1. Use your hands
For a meatball that is, as Goldilocks would say, just right - tender but not falling apart, and with all the ingredients well combined - a lot of meatball masters swear by mixing by hand. There are two schools of thought on whether to mix just enough to bring it all together (for a lighter style of meatball) or go hard and give it a really vigorous mix (usually for a denser meatball, that will hold up well when simmered for a long time in sauce, or tossed around in oil – although it’s not a hard and fast division).
A thorough mix by hand is one of the secrets to these - along with the crisp tempura coating.
Source: Alan Benson
2. The meat matters
A lot of traditional European meatball recipes mix two or three meats, for both flavour and texture. Matty Matheson, who whips up spaghetti and meatballs in the first episode of his new show, (double episodes Fridays 6.30pm on SBS Viceland from February 2, then on SBS On Demand) says it’s the secret to his .
Chicken mince is often easier to find than veal mince, so another option are , which use a mix of chicken, pork and beef:
Source: It's Suppertime / SBS Viceland
Source: Getty Images
3. Soak your bread for soft, juicy meatballs
We’re not saying you need to swear off any recipe that uses dried breadcrumbs – there are plenty of great meatballs made using breadcrumbs! - but for the light, soft, moist style of meatball that almost falls of your fork, a lot of meatball aficionados say . Bread is soaked in milk for these , spiked with herbs and spices, and served in a creamy sauce:
Source: Feast magazine / Chris Chen
4. Add cheese
Haloumi in meatballs. We’ll just let that idea sit with you for a minute. Good, huh? Yep, whether it’s salty pops of feta or haloumi, or the tenderness that comes from ricotta, cheese is a sure-fire way to up your meatball game.
Try it in these from chef Guy Turland of .
Feta takes next-level 
These, cooked in stock rather than tomato sauce, use ricotta and parmesan to make them super juicy, tender and tasty.
Lamb and haloumi meatballs Source: Bondi Harvest
Source: Hardie Grant Books
Pork and ricotta meatballs Source: Benito Martin
5. Chill out
Resting the mixture in the fridge will help meatballs keep their shape during cooking. It’s one of the tricks – along with pine nuts for texture and ricotta for softness – in . Unlike some tomato sauces this one doesn’t need hours of simmering, so it’s a good one if you have a mid-week meatball craving.
6. Be a bit saucy
Shhh. Don’t tell the meatballs. But sometimes, it’s the sauce that’s the star of the show. Like these east-meets-west (where cookbook author Reiko Hashimoto shares another good tip for meatball making: make sure all the meatballs are the same size, to ensure even cooking.)
Want more on meatballs? Watch Friday February 2 at 6,35pm on , then on . And find more than 70 more recipes in our .
Source: Cook Japan / Bloomsbury
