What is the purpose of putting the egg in the meatball recipe?

Eggs are not a source of moisture! They’re in the meatball mix to bind the meat, breadcrumbs, cheese, and herbs. The eggs will cook and make the meatballs dense and spongy–you want light, airy meatballs. For one to two pounds of meat, you usually won’t need more than one or two eggs.

Do you add an egg when making meatballs?

You only need a small amount of egg – it’s there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape, and shouldn’t detract from the meat’s flavour or texture. Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.

How do you make meatballs not fall apart?

How to make meatballs that won’t fall apart

1. Massage your meat. True story.
2. Add breadcrumbs. Add breadcrumbs to the mixture, but not too many breadcrumbs.
3. Add egg.
4. Don’t add much apart from meat.
5. Roll your meatballs in flour.
6. Give your meatballs space.
7. Shake your meatballs.
8. Brown your meatballs first.

What happens when you don’t add egg to meatballs?

The egg whites serve as a binder to help hold the meatballs together. If you were simply to remove the eggs, the remaining ingredients would fall apart during cooking, leaving you with crumbled pieces of meat.

How do you bind meatballs without eggs?

In the absence of eggs, the combination of breadcrumbs and milk will work to bind your meatballs together. Using milk and breadcrumbs is also a good trick to cooking a more tender meatballs. The combination of these two ingredients provides added moisture to the meatballs and will prevent them from becoming tough.

What is a good binder for meatballs?

The binders You can use eggs, breadcrumbs, grated or creamy cheeses (think ricotta or feta here), ground nuts, or a mixture of these ingredients to bind the balls and help them stay together while you cook them and as you eat them—no one wants a meatball that breaks apart all over the plate.

What to use in meatballs instead of breadcrumbs?

What are the best subs for breadcrumbs?

1. Oats. Oats are the perfect substitutes for breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf.
2. Crushed Chips.
3. Nuts.
4. Pretzels or Crackers.
5. Crushed Cereal.

How do you make meatballs with breadcrumbs?

Add the meat mixture and breadcrumbs to the bowl of a small stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until well combined. Add the Parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes (do not over mix). Scoop out 18 meatballs using an ice-cream scoop (or form the meatballs to ice-cream-scoop size).

How do you cook a meatball with hard boiled eggs?

Place a wedge of hard-cooked egg in the center, then enclose meat around the egg and roll between your palms to form a smooth ball. Set the meatball on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients.

How do you stuff meatballs with cheese?

Stuff each meatball by making a hole in the middle and placing 1 tablespoon of the meat-and-cheese mixture in the center. Seal the meatballs well by pinching them back together.

What kind of meat do you use for meatballs?

Like the ones we were taught to make in Mexico, these meatballs, or albóndigas, hide a sliver of hard-cooked egg at the center. For best flavor and texture, we use a combination of ground beef and pork.