Topic: My meatball failure

[SamLouise]

I made some meatballs today and I thought they were going to be really tasty but once cooked, they really weren't and I'm puzzled as to why. 

Into my meatballs went ...

Extra Lean Minced Beef
1 chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 egg
Breadcrumbs to the equivalent of 3 slices
2-3 tablespoons of Basil
2-3 tablespoons of Oregano
Generous helping of mixed Italian Herbs
About 15g of fresh Parmesan cheese.

Into my sauce went .....

2 sliced up red peppers
1lb of fresh tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
Tablespoon of Basil & Oregano
2 tablespoons of olive oil

The sauce ingredients I cooked for twenty minutes in the oven then I put them in the blender, poured them over the meatballs and cooked in the oven and cooked on 160 for twenty minutes and 180 for ten minutes.

Now I'd have thought they'd have come out really tasty but believe me when I say they really didn't.  They were almost plain tasting!  Can anybody think of a reason why?  Should I have left the meatballs to sit for a while first or something?

[tricia]

No salt and pepper in either the meat balls or the sauce?

Tricia

[Emagggie]

How disappointing! Maybe the addition of some bovril or similar, soy sauce or a dash of  worcester sauce in the meat would have made the difference.
Was the sauce tasty?

[greenscrump]

Maybe it was the extra lean mince?  I think lots of flavour is in the fat........

[agapanthus]

Perhaps too much bread? I never use bread in mine.

[debster]

we always use extra lean mince and theyre tasty but we never use bread either just an egg to bind i often put some sweetner in the sauce too that works well though you caould use some sugar equally well

[dtw]

Was the basil and oregano fresh or dried?

If it's dried, try pouring a very small amount of boiling water on it  in a small cup first.

[Obelixx]

The quality of meat offered by the butchers' department at my favourite supermarket is excellent but I find extra lean beef mince quite tasteless when cooked.  It's all I can get here - unless I travel miles to an organic butcher -  as the Belgians eat it raw and it really is minced from lean beef rather than mechanically recovered or dog ends of beef.

I now mix it half and half with minced pork which improves texture and flavour whether making bolognese, lasagna or meatballs.   

[Melbourne12]

The development of flavours in meat (and poultry) during cooking is complex stuff.  As Tricia said, you need salt (although you may have done this but just not listed it).  Meatballs, hamburgers, and the like also benefit from a pinch of sugar (not more than a level teaspoon per pound).

But if I've understood the recipe correctly, the meatballs were covered in sauce whilst still raw, and then oven-cooked.  I think the major problem is that they didn't get any air, and so the flavours of oxidation didn't develop.  Just as you'd normally fry meat briefly before putting it in a casserole, your meatballs need to be fried (or grilled) a bit before being dunked in sauce.  Cookbooks say this is to "seal in the juices", but that's nonsense.  The real reason is flavour development.

If you already added salt, and already pre-cooked the meatballs, then my only suggestion is that you must have a bad headcold.  ;D ;D

[Lauren S]

I usually pan fry my meatballs first. On high heat to seal the edges but not necessarily cook the centers. Then they go into the sauce for the required time in the oven. I find they taste better when they have either marinaded in the sauce (pre oven cooking) or after cooking they taste even better the second day.

Lauren  :)

P.S 30 mins doesn't seem quite long enough?

[star]

Before you cook the whole batch, cook a little bit and taste. Then you can judge if it needs more seasoning. Saves not enjoying the end product.

Im lazy as well, I use packet stuffing instead of breadcrumbs......tasty, still needs salt though. ;)

[SamLouise]

Many thanks for all of your replies. 

Firstly, I must point out that I had my quantities the wrong way around!  I used 2-3 tablespoons of each herb in my sauce, not my meatballs.  My meatballs had probably a tablespoon and a half of each and I used dried herbs, not fresh.  I think next time I will stick with fresh.  No I didn't use any salt and pepper.  I usually am quite generous with salt in my cooking but didn't use it this time.  I don't use pepper in my cooking, I don't like it at all.

I did indeed put them raw meatballs straight into the dish covered with sauce to cook - so after all of your comments I see I should have perhaps put them in the pan for a couple of minutes first. 

It's all trial and error I guess and I thank you very much for your tips and suggestions  :)

[Lady of the Land]

I put some mushroom soup mix in the meatballs for one recipe I do. I think it also has a lot to do with the sauce ingredients you serve the meatballs in and frying the meatballs to brown them first.

[asbean]

Perhaps too much bread? I never use bread in mine.

Semolina is much smoother  ;) ;)