The word "meatball" comes from the Italian frittadella - a ball fried in a pan. The dish has become widespread in Europe since the beginning of the 19th century - since the invention of the manual mill, the ancestor of the modern meat grinder. Swedish meatballs have spread and become famous all over the world thanks to one Swede who lives on the roof, as well as fast self-service restaurants of the famous Swedish chain of stores.
This dish is a small meat or fish balls fried in a pan. This is the primary dish for young children, whose teeth are difficult to cope with meat fibers. They put such balls in the first dish for kids: in soups and broths.
Minced meatballs
Although meatballs can include various components, do not confuse them with meatballs. The mincemeat for the dish to which this article is devoted consists only of meat and onions. If rice, buckwheat, potatoes are added to it, then meatballs are obtained.
So, we offer you several compositions of minced meat for fried meatballs.
Home-made meat
Ingredients:
- 0.5 kg of beef;
- 0.5 kg of pork with fat;
- 2-3 onions;
- egg;
- salt, pepper to taste.
Pass the beef pulp twice through a meat grinder and add the pre-rolled onion and pork. Salt, pepper, beat the egg. You can mix the stuffing with your hands. But a lighter and more airy consistency is obtained if you use a food processor.
Meat "Gentle"
You will need:
- 500 g of ground beef and pork;
- 200-300 g chicken;
- 300 g onions;
- salt, ground pepper.
Grind the chicken fillet using a chopper or blender. Combine with the rest of the minced meat and scroll again in the meat grinder along with the onion. Add salt and black pepper to taste, mix until smooth.
Fish "Classic"
Prepare for cooking:
- 1 kg of fish fillet;
- 1 cup semolina premium;
- egg;
- two onions;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Check the fish for bone and pass through a meat grinder with onions. Squeeze out the resulting mass. Do not pour juice, but use it in gravy. Combine the onion mixture with the egg and semolina.
Salt, pepper and leave everything for 20-30 minutes, so that the cereal swells, absorbing excess fluid. Instead of semolina, you can use flour.
How to roll meatballs beautifully?
The shape of the meat balls for our dish should resemble apples-ranets with a size of no more than 3-4 centimeters in diameter. This is a painstaking task, especially if a large number of guests are expected. To ensure that the process is successful, you can use the secrets.
First of all, take care of the following:
- free up large space on the kitchen table;
- draw cold water into a bowl;
- make a teaspoon.
Moisten the surface of the table lightly - your products will be laid on it. Begin to form lumps of minced meat and lay on the table. In order for them to be the same in size, you can use a teaspoon.
Wet your hands periodically in cold water, roll balls from each lump, returning them to the countertop. Then roll in flour, place them on trays finely greased with vegetable oil. Some housewives replace it with flour. This method is good if you immediately send the finished product for quick freezing. Otherwise, the flour is soaked in meat juice and “sticks” your meatballs to the tray.
How to fry meatballs correctly?
The appearance of the finished dish will be affected by the way you fry your meat balls. Here's a convenient and easy way to cook fried meatballs in a pan .
Take a deep pan or wide-bottom stew-pan - the size of the heating element of the stove should correspond to the diameter of the appliance. Pour the vegetable oil in such a layer so that your meatballs drown in it “to the top of the head”.
Quickly lower the meat lumps in the heated oil. To make the crust uniform, gently rock the pan, holding it by the handle. Take out the fried meatballs using a slotted spoon.
How to cook gravy meatballs?
The recipe for fried meatballs with gravy is simple.
- In a pan where they were fried, pour half a glass of flour and bring it to a caramel color.
- Add a spoonful of tomato paste, half a glass of cream and, stirring, dilute the mixture with hot boiled water.
- When the gravy begins to bubble, turn off the stove and dip the fried meatballs into the resulting sauce.
Serve with greens and a side dish of vegetables or pasta.