Weeknight Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking dish
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (75 g) panko
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1-1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese
• ground black pepper
• 1 lb ground beef (20% fat) or other ground meat

Equipment

• 9x13 glass baking dish
• Large bowl

Instructions

1. Place rack in top third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Lightly coat a 9x13 glass baking dish with olive oil.
2. Prepare the panade. Stir eggs, panko, milk, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, Parmesan, 3 tbsp olive oil, and several cranks of pepper in a large bowl until nearly a smooth paste. Let rest 10 minutes.
3. Mix in a quarter of the ground beef (combining just a small amount first makes it easier to incorporate without overmixing).
4. Add remaining beef and mix well to combine, but don’t overwork it.
5. Using oiled hands, form mixture into meatballs (golf ball size or to preference). Place in prepared baking dish.
6. Bake until well-browned underneath, about 15 minutes. Flip with a stiff metal spatula or fork.
7. Bake until browned on second side and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, 4-5 minutes more.

Notes

• Panko reduced to 1 cup from recipe’s original of 1-1/2 cups.
• Porchetta spice blend makes excellent substitution for Italian seasoning, if available.
• Can be baked 3 days ahead. Cool, then chill; reheat at 325°F or simmer in sauce until warmed through, 10-15 minutes.
• Any ground meat works — pork, lamb, turkey, or dark-meat chicken.
• Can also sneak in vegetables that have gone through a food processor and incorporate them into the panade. Still experimenting with ratios, but after adding in an excessive amount of summer squash to the panade, a final meatball blend of 12 oz. panade and 16 oz. meat was almost too tender. Only using 12 oz. of the panade after incorporating the squash meant there was some unused.