Why my meatballs sweated all of their fat?
I have made simple meatballs with red onions, some eggs, drizzle of olive oil and chopped scallions. Put them into the oven at 220c (440f) and this is what came out:
They sweated all of their fat and juices. What was left was very dry meat with almost no flavor. They weren't in the oven that long at all. Why did my precious meatballs sweat all of the fat they worked so hard to gain at the farm?
Best Answer
Regarding the chemistry of what happened here, @rumtscho's comment addresses that very nicely. Quoting from the relevant portion of the linked answer:
This scum is made from proteins. Meat contains muscle fibers (the proteins actin and myosin) as well as some loose proteins swimming in the fluids within the meat (the cell plasma). When you cook meat, the protein-rich fluids are expelled (that's why overcooking makes meat dry). Under hot temperature, the proteins in the fluid coagulate, making it firm.
As to why that occurred in this case and what you can do about it: you've provided a list of ingredients that includes a lot of moisture, with very little to help bind everything together. Eggs contain a lot of water, and onions will release quite a bit as they cook too. This exacerbates the problem of fluid expulsion noted above. This is why you will very often see breadcrumbs (and sometimes a dry cheese such as parmesan, especially in Italian recipes) included in meatball recipes. They're not just filler; they help to absorb the juices expelled by the meat itself as it's squeezed out by the cooking process. It's a little counter-intuitive, but the dry breadcrumb helps to keep the meatballs moist and shapely as they cook.
Next time consider reducing the amount of egg (you don't specify how much you used, but I rarely use more than 1 egg per pound of ground meat) and adding a bit of breadcrumb to your recipe: perhaps 2 tablespoons per pound of meat as a starting point, up to about 1/4 cup depending on other ingredients. Given the onion and other things here, I would err on the high side of that.
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ANSWER: Usually when meatballs fall apart, it's the binder that is the problem. Most meatball recipes call for using bread crumbs and eggs. But too much bread crumbs make them too loose, and not enough bread crumbs won't help them hold together either.How do you get grease out of meatballs?
So, instead of frying them in a pan, bake the meatballs in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes on the rack of a broiler pan. The grease will drip away, leaving you with a reduced-fat version that tastes just as good. Put this technique to work when you make some of these marvelous meatball recipes.What happens if you overwork meatballs?
When meatballs are packed together too tightly, they cook up tough, rubbery, and chewy. \u2192 Follow this tip: Being gentle is the name of the game when it comes to forming meatballs. Consider oiling your hands so the mixture won't stick to them, and then gently and quickly form the meat into evenly sized balls.How do you fix wet meatballs?
Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs also help to bind your meatballs. If the mince mixture is quite wet, breadcrumbs will help soak up excess moisture so that the balls don't fall apart. Cheese: Adding cheese helps to bind the meatballs while cooking.Family Guy - Lois wants Stewie
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Answer 2
I also think you missed the breadcrumbs mince is very fatty and all other ingredients contain a lot of water. I have made this mistake with meatballs and burgers sadly but you will find they are better next time
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