The Secret Ingredient For Making Meatballs That Taste Like They Came from an Italian Restaurant
Spaghetti and meatballs
Meatballs are spaghetti's BBF, the star of Italian subs everywhere and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. They're easy to make in the crockpot, in the oven or on the stove and can be customized to you and your crew: beef, a mix of meats, a plant-based protein. And then there are the spices and sauces, which can take meatballs in a number of delicious directions.
But no matter how you flavor and sauce your meatballs, we're all aiming to make meatballs that are moist and tender and easy to cut with a fork. And to guarantee that, you need one thing: a panade. Not exactly sure what that means? Read on for everything you need to know.
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What Is a Panade?
This French term loosely translates to bread mash, which is exactly what it is. To make a panade, add water, milk, cream or stock to breadcrumbs or slices of bread and mash it up. That's it! The mushy mixture helps prevent the protein in the meat from tightening up, which translates to moist and tender meatballs. It's also a good way to stretch the meat to make more meatballs for less money. Win win!
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How to Make a Panade
One of the great things about a panade is that it doesn't have to be overly precise. Place your breadcrumbs or roughly torn or chopped bread (white bread without the crusts works best) in a bowl and add your milk, cream, water or broth. Let it sit for a few minutes to let the liquid absorb. You want the mixture to be moist and sticky but not overly loose, so add the liquid gradually until you get that texture. If you don't have breadcrumbs or bread, you can crush up crackers instead.
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How to Use a Panade
Meatballs are our #1 favorite way to use a panade, but it's also a great addition to meatloaf, where it works in exactly the same way.
Frequent Parade contributor Theresa Greco shared her Italian grandmother's meatball recipe with us, which she says usually includes a panade. Greco (and her grandmother) prefers to use crust-less white sandwich bread soaked in milk. How much bread? "It depends on how moist you want them," she says. "A good rule of thumb is a slice or two per 3 pounds of meat. This may sound odd, but trust me: it will give your meatballs a whole new dimension."
Once you've made your panade, you can add it directly to your meatball or meatloaf mixture and stir until combined. Shape the meatballs or meatloaf and cook as usual. Because the panade is so mildly flavored it won't affect the taste of your dish—but you'll definitely notice the moist and tender texture.
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