restaurant meatball technique

"fishman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round and
evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

Based upon personal experience at the Macaroni Grill in Southern
California - they're made by Machine and Frozen off premises.

How do I know?

You have 3 guesses and the first 2 don't count.

Dimitri

"fishman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round and
evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

Those lovely looking meatballs are most likely made by a machine then frozen
and shipped to the restaurant. Why do you want this result? I doubt that any
authentic Italian grandma ever had perfectly round meatballs!

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

fishman said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round and
evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

How depends on the restaurant. Most of the smaller family operated
establishments make meatballs the same as you've described, formed and
pan fried/baked on the premises... they will not be very uniform
either. Many larger facilities buy factory made precooked frozen meat
balls... they're formed and cooked by automated machinery...
essentially they are formed by machine and transported by conveyer so
that they are pre-cooked by deep frying which firms them up, then they
are baked until fully cooked, then flash frozen. And many restaurants
don't bother with frying/baking, they simply drop the formed raw meat
balls directly into the pot of simmering sauce.

"French people stink, in body and deeds, BOYCOTT FRANCE"

Peter Aitken said:

"fishman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

Those lovely looking meatballs are most likely made by a machine then

frozen

Quoted message said:

and shipped to the restaurant. Why do you want this result? I doubt

that any

Quoted message said:

authentic Italian grandma ever had perfectly round meatballs!

Wouldn't that depend of the configuration of the arm pits? hehe

"French people stink, in body and deeds, BOYCOTT FRANCE"

My first cooking job was producing what was essentialy institutional
food for 400 - 500 meals. For meatballs and spaghetti we mixed the
meat in the Hobart and formed the balls using an ice cream scoop.
Browning was done in the deep fryer and then the balls were added to
the sauce and simmered for an hour or so.

D.M.

Yes foodies, I can make your nightmares come true! I can reproduce all
that awful stuff you ate in college dining halls.... Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Sheldon said:

many restaurants don't bother with frying/baking, they simply drop
the formed raw meat balls directly into the pot of simmering sauce.

When I make meatballs, I make them more marshmallow-shaped than round. That
shape makes for easier uniform browning. (Of course, I *could* make it even
easier than that by shaping them into cubes, but you've got to make *some*
concession to tradition!)

Bob

D.A.Martinich wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

Yes foodies, I can make your nightmares come true! I can reproduce

all

Quoted message said:

that awful stuff you ate in college dining halls....
Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Ours (as an undergrad) actually had great food. Some old Granny in the
kichen was a kick-butt chef!

-L.

fishman said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round and
evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

Mine are made with ground meat (usually turkey - we don't eat beef),
grated green pepper (with the juice), fresh garlic - pressed, onion and
garlic powder, dried onion flakes, black pepper, a bunch of spices
(oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil,) and bread crumbs. I mix it all
well, and them let the mix sit in the fridge for a few hours, covered.
I form it into roundish balls the size of golf balls (or a smidge
bigger) and place them on a well-greased cookie sheet. I then broil
them under the broiler until the tops are browned - sometimes I flip
them half way through, but usually I don't have to. They cook in about
10-15 minutes - well browned on top and bottom. I then plop them into
hot tomato-based sauce (containing veggies and spices) and simmer on
low uniil they need to be served (a minimum of 1/2 hour). They always
retain their shape (more-or-less), brown well and taste divine.

HTH,

-L.

fishman said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round and
evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

I have pretty good luck using the oven. I form them into round balls,
space them out on a greased-foil-lined broiler pan and then stick them
in the oven for about 20 minutes or so at a very high temp - I usually
go with 425-450 deg. F.

It makes splatters in the oven, but overall I'm happier with the
results than when I used to brown them on top the stove.

N.

"fishman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round and
evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

Many buy them frozen and maybe finish them in a pan with some garlicked oil
for your meal.

If they make their own, they usually use an ice cream scoop and a deep
fryer - more uniform product, less labor and thus a more cost-efficient way
while still controlling product.

If for some reason they can't change out the deep fryer oil or don't have a
dedicated fryer (spicy meata balls can flavor the oil), a 3-4 qt pan with
5-8 inches of oil done on the stove top also works.
(my preference with this method is to use the electric burner so the oil
vapors and drips from removing the meat balls can't be ignited by the gas
burner's open flame)

fwiw

In article <[email hidden]>,

fishman said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round and
evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

I'm not into perfectly round. I think they look more homemade if they
aren't. I have a technique, though. It keeps them round, but I do it
because I'm just lazy. I make the sauce thin, and plop the uncooked
meatballs into it. They soon firm up into whatever shape they were when
you put them in. I usually cook them an hour to an hour and a half.
Shortly before it's time to eat, I add a can of tomato paste, which
thickens the sauce up. Although browning adds to the taste of the
meatballs, I find them quite acceptable without.

The following recipe is loosely based on one from the Frugal Gourmet, and
was my inspiration for the above technique:

GREEK MEATBALLS
===============

1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1/3 cup uncooked rice
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 egg
16 oz can tomato sauce
butter
flour
pepper
oregano
dried dill week

Mix first four ingredients in a bowl (I usually add oregano and dill
also). Empty the tomato sauce into large saucepan. Add two cans of
water. Add some butter to thicken the sauce (I use olive oil). The
thickening happens during cooking when the flour combines with the
butter. Add oregano and dill to the liquid, and bring to a boil. Put
flour and pepper on a plate. Make meatballs and roll them on the plate.
Add to simmering liquid. It will look more like meatball soup, but the
rice and the flour will cause the sauce to thicken. Cook for an hour or
more, stirring occasionally. I don't usually add salt, but I would guess
that most people would. I add hot pepper sauce towards the end. These
are good over boiled egg noodles.

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS
[email hidden]

Dan Abel said:

I'm not into perfectly round.

You are more the "perky pointers" type, Dan...???

--
Best
Greg

Gregory Morrow said:

Dan Abel said:

I'm not into perfectly round.

You are more the "perky pointers" type, Dan...???

I'm in the "supple and round" camp. ;-)

--
Steve

Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 apiece on those little
bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards...

Just a guess but could they be deep-fried til golden brown, then finished in
the oven or the sauce?

dizzi

"fishman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round and
evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

On Sun 20 Feb 2005 09:06:56p, dizzi wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Just a guess but could they be deep-fried til golden brown, then
finished in the oven or the sauce?

dizzi

"fishman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round and
evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

I brown mine in the oven, but turn frequently. They stay round.

Wayne

My father would just put them in the sauce and simmer for hours, 1 1/2
t0 2 inches in dia. Great with pasta or the good old meatball sandwich
when I got home from school. Most people I know do like below, but
then you don't have the split with a fork and the mushyness.
That's just what I grew up with.

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 23:06:56 -0500, "dizzi" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Just a guess but could they be deep-fried til golden brown, then finished in
the oven or the sauce?

dizzi

"fishman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How do restaurants cook their meatballs so that they are so round and
evenly browned? I fry mine in a pan and they always have flat spots
where they touch the pan. This area is also crispier than the parts
that don't ever touch the pan.

I have tried baking, and get similar results.

I am referring to the big italian meatballs that get served with
spaghetti. Thanks.

You could make it ever easier by shaping them into disks,

-bwg

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted post said:

You could make it ever easier by shaping them into disks,

I had a teacher like that in grade school. When she underlined something
on the blackboard she always drew a wavy line. She explained that she
couldn't make it straight, so she deliberately made it wavy.

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS
[email hidden]