How long is too long to cook meatballs in sauce?
We use ground Chuck for the meatballs when making meatball subs. No spices or chopped onion, just meat and the meat sauce is a basic tomato based concoction. Then we cook the meatballs(raw) in the sauce in a crackpot for about 10 hrs! When we serve it, the sauce has cooked away by 95%. What I need to know is can you overcook meatballs and/or sauce (on low setting)? They always have a terribly strong and bitter taste that ground beef shouldn't have.
Best Answer
That long time in the crock-pot sounds bad to begin with. Ground meat should be just cooked to a safe temperature -- any more and it will lose moisture and get tough.
The bitterness could come from prolonged exposure to the acidic tomato sauce. If you've ever made ground taco meat and over-seasoned it with lemon or lime juice, it will often taste bitter or astringent.
Pictures about "How long is too long to cook meatballs in sauce?"
Can you cook meatballs too long in sauce?
Meatballs should be cooked until they reach the minimum internal temperature for safe consumption. If you let them simmer or sit in the sauce for too long, you can overcook them, in which case they'll become tough at first\u2014and eventually turn soggy and mushy.How long can meatballs stay in sauce?
In the fridge: Allow for the meatballs and the sauce to cool completely. Then any leftovers go in an airtight container(s). They can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days\u2014the sauce can go even longer up to 7 days.Is it safe to cook raw meatballs in sauce?
Although the meatballs are not browned first, they still cook though in the sauce and it is safe to add them to the sauce raw, as long as the sauce is kept at a simmer until the meatballs are cooked through. Cooking the meatballs this way means that they stay quite tender even when cooked.How do you know when meatballs are cooked in sauce?
The meatballs are done when cooked through, the outsides are browned, and they register 165\xb0F in the middle on an instant-read thermometer. Serve immediately. Option 2: Cook the meatballs directly in sauce.Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Recipe
More answers regarding how long is too long to cook meatballs in sauce?
Answer 2
Bitter flavors sound like something is burning. Your description indicates the sauce is reducing by an extreme amount. It seems possible it is burning on the bottom of the crock, and the burnt flavors are infusing throughout the dish.
You are not describing a method which is likely to produce outstanding results. The lack of seasonings, breadcrumbs or similar (which change the texture to a more... well... meatball... consistency), the lack of browning (to develop beefy flavor), as well as the possible over reduction of the sauce all seem to lead towards a poor result.
The 10 hour cooking time may be the least of the issues, although it is longer than required by a considerable margin. Even so, if the sauce doesn't over reduce, and the temperature is well maintained at a very low simmer, it should not be excessive.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Klaus Nielsen, Katerina Holmes, Klaus Nielsen, Katerina Holmes