Come On, Deep Fry the Meatballs
A well-cooked meatball is an inherently perfect meal. Tender, flavorful meat, neatly pressed into a voluminous ball – large or small – always seems like a special reward. There’s no need to improve it, so I see the following garnish as a way to honor the inherent goodness of meatballs: Try deep-frying the meatballs.
The idea of breading and deep-frying the famous meatball came to me in an unusual way (an inspiration sent to me by the angel of food). Instead, I learned that they’re serving fried meatballs at Yankee Stadium this season. Meatball makers everywhere know that technically all the best meatballs are quickly fried in a pan and then topped with sauce (unless you bake them for less mess, which I respect), and the stadium cooking method remains a little unclear.
Whether or not the Yankee Stadium fried meatballs are just regular meatballs dipped into the fryer, this idea has certainly inspired me to take it a step further and create my own vision of the perfect ball of fried meat.
How to cook deep-fried cutlets
The whole point of deep frying something is to get a crispy outside and a tender inside. While something like falafel doesn’t require extra starch on the outside to get a crispy shell, meatballs do. I breaded the outside of the meatballs with a mixture of panko and breadcrumbs and the results were incredible. The meatballs had a crispy exterior but retained a lot of moisture. Honestly, these were some of the juiciest meatballs I’ve ever eaten.
Here’s how to recreate it:
1. Prepare the meatball mixture.
Deep-fried meatballs can be made using any recipe, so I suggest you use your favorite one. However, during the breading step, it helps if there is an egg in the mixture, so if you can add an egg to your recipe, great, but it’s not necessary. Either way, raw meat is usually quite sticky. Once the mixture is ready, roll the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with foil.
2. Roll them in crumbs.
Add equal parts panko and fine breadcrumb mixture to a bowl. I used store bought Kikkoman Panko and Progresso breadcrumbs. If you’re feeling inspired, add a spoonful of grated Parmesan to the mixture. (I only chopped, but I did it.) Coat each meatball thoroughly in the breading mixture and return to the baking sheet.
3. Roast them
Depending on the size of your meatballs, add enough neutral oil to the pan to coat them. Bring oil to 350°F. Use a deep-fry thermometer or candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. Ideally, you should keep it between 335 and 350°F. This frying region ensures that the meatballs are cooked to the center without browning. Fry the cutlets for three to five minutes, depending on the size of the cutlets. If you are unsure of doneness, use a probe thermometer to check the internal temperature.
If you’ve ever felt the sadness of dry meatballs, deep frying will help. I’ve never had a juicier meatball, and the initial crunch makes for a swoon-worthy textural juxtaposition. My meatballs were two inches in diameter—perhaps a little larger. If you want them larger than this size, I would recommend breading them and baking them on a rack over a baking sheet for 15 minutes at 400°F before broiling to cook them through. This way, when you get to deep frying them, you can focus on creating a nice crust and know they’re safe to eat.
(Also, since I know you’re wondering, you can air fry them. They develop a thin crust—and again, meatballs are always perfect—but deep frying just works differently.)
Take the guesswork out of deep frying with these tools:
Fried meatballs recipe
Ingredients:
-
1 slice sandwich bread, toasted
-
2 tablespoons grated onion (including juice)
-
2 tablespoons milk
-
8 ounces ground beef
-
8 ounces ground pork
-
½ teaspoon salt
-
½ teaspoon garlic powder
-
2 teaspoons soy sauce
-
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
-
1 egg
-
½ cup panko
-
½ cup breadcrumbs
-
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
-
Neutral oil for deep frying
1. Crumble a slice of toast into a medium bowl. You need small pieces; the size of a pea or smaller. Add grated onion, juice and milk. Stir to moisten the bread. Feel free to add a little more milk if there are any dry bits of bread left. Add beef, pork, salt, seasonings, sauces and egg. Mix until smooth.
2. Divide and roll the mixture into balls (size is up to you). Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil.
3. Combine panko, breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl. Dredge each meatball in the breading until well coated. Place them in the sheet tray.
4. Add enough oil to the pan to coat the meatball, about two inches of oil. Heat the oil to 350°F and deep-fry a couple of meatballs at a time for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are browned and the center is a safe temperature (usually 160°F) for your mixture. Cool the meatballs on a wire rack for about five minutes, then serve with your favorite sauce and grated Parm.