You're right about the fat content. Don't use leaner than 80/20 and yes, pork really helps with flavor and texture.

I also use white bread or homemade bread crumbs soaked in milk (1/2 &1/2, cream) and add to the mix. My meatballs just barely hold shape when formed, that's how moist I get them.

The famous Rao's adds up to 2 cups of water to keep the meatballs moist!

I do bake them @ 425 for 20 minutes before adding them to the sauce.

If you just want a softer texture, then fresh bread crumbs soaked in milk will do. If you want real juiciness, then it's fat.

One of our local burger chefs got huge raves when he came on the scene for his big, juicy, flavorful burgers. Then they asked him what his secret was and he said, "35% pork fat. It's the only way."

One local burger place never does anything rarer than medium even if you try to insist. He prefers to use beef suet, which has a much higher melting point. Since most meatballs are served well-done, you might want to go 25-30% suet instead, since cooking well-done would render all pork fat out, leaving dry meat again.

You can also add finely chopped mushrooms, but a panade is pretty standard, which is usually bread and milk. I've sometimes added a bit of gelatin and also a small amount of baking soda.

Thank you!. These suggestions will most definitely be employed the next time I make meatballs. Must improve.

When I was a kid, I loved soft Italian meatballs, which were, essentially, a paté. I make very soft, very moist meatballs from a regular grind of lean bison or beef (as little as 10% fat, but more likely 15%) using carrots and onions minced very fine in the FP, as well as matzah and eggs for glue. For every half pound of meat, I use one sheet of matzah (usually whole wheat, but any would work, including the "gluten free matzah-like squares"), for every 3/4 lb. of meat I use one egg (2 for 1-1.5 lbs.), and for every half pound the equivalent of a small onion (size of an average woman's fist) and a similar volume of carrots. I don't incorporate the water the separates from the veg in the FP, but I don't drain highly either. When I want firmer, I just use less veg (half as much is more like meatloaf, 3/4's is a tender but less squishy meatball). I also use seasoning, of course, and a big double handful of chopped parsley (fresh or dried), but neither seems to affect the texture.

For poultry balls I use a panade, but that's one of the rare times I also might look to swine. Pancetta in chicken balls adds a lot of flavor and necessary fat.

God mother was Queen of Chinese "Lion Head" dish. Family, relatives and friends were willing to travel long distance just for the huge meatballs that were so tasty and tender, melt in the mouth. I think her recipe could be used for regular size meatballs.

Here is the skeleton version of the recipe. Like all the recipes passed down from generations, details are the "art" portion that need each person to fill in -

Grind Boston butt meat twice. Add egg white, water with dissolved cornstarch. Add spices. Counter-clock wise stir the meat until all the fibers in the meat show up ( translate: until your arm is so tired you wonder why you choose to make this dish), remove as much fiber as you could. Make meatballs. Deep fry until meatballs turn brown color on the outside, move them to clay pot, add broth, seasoning and cook high temperature first, then lower the temperature and cook forever (translate: up to 2 days or until kids cry for meatballs).

My Lion Head dish is pretty popular among our generation, but it could never hold a candle to God mother's dish.

Lars, what does baking soda do to the meatballs? Really curious. Thanks!

I'm not Lars but I'm familiar with the use of baking soda in meatballs, patties etc. to make them more tender. It greatly improves the texture. The Romanians do it and it's great:

Introduction: Mici (meech) are the most popular Romanian outdoor grill. "Mici" are caseless sausages, made of ground beef meat mixed with spices, garlic, and beef broth. They are served with mustard, fries and/or country bread next to a cold beer. From the inexpensive street food stops, to summer patios or fancy restaurants, you can find them all over the country! You can smell them everywhere in the summer and they smell so good! In Romania you can buy them from any grocery store, fresh or frozen, then you can load up your car with a grill and coals and grill away on the side of the road! I miss them here in the US! While I was living in Romania, I never bothered to prepare them but here in the US, just to get the taste of home I had to learn to prepare them. It takes at least 24 hours to prepare and mature the meat and have the truly tasty Mici experience.

Prepared and Photographed by: Claudia Davis

Recipe Source: An "old" Romanian friend

Serves: 8

Prep time: 24 hours

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 24 hours 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 2 lb ground beef
• ¼ lb ground beef suet
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 1 tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of black pepper
• 2 tsp of summer savory*
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp of ground coriander
• ¼ tsp of ground all spice
• 1 tsp of paprika
• ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp of oil (for brushing)

Instructions

1. In a small glass dissolve the baking soda with the lemon juice
2. In a large bowl put the meat with all of the ingredients and the dissolved baking soda (except the oil). Mix thoroughly all of the ingredients. Add the broth in stages, mixing well after each addition. The meat mixture needs to get to a consistency that will allow modeling in small sausage shape, you do not want your mixture to be too loose. Depending on your meat water content, you may not need all of the broth to be added. You also want your mixture to incorporate enough liquid so the grilled "Mici" will be juicy. Refrigerate overnight for the meat to absorb flavors.
3. Take the meat out of the refrigerator and with wet hand, form the "mici" in a cylinder shape 2-3 inches long and 1 inch thick.
4. Put them on a foil lined tray and continue to form "Mici" until all of the meat is finished. Brush them with oil.
5. Grill them on high heat, preferably on coal, not gas. Flip them to cook on both sides and cook them to your desired doneness. They are very good when done with just a little pink inside, and very juicy.
6. Serve with mustard, bread or French fries next to a cold beer. Enjoy!

Notes

Summer Savory (cimbru) is one of the key ingredients of "Mici". You can replace it with dried basil, but the result will not be the original taste. If you like pork, you can use half beef and half pork, however, be cognizant of the fact that in this case the "Mici" will need to be thoroughly cooked, with no pink inside.

The link:

http://www.claudiashomecooking.com/romanian-mici-meech/

Panade is bread soup! Bread boiled in either watter or milk, with the possible addition of a little butter and/or an egg. Do you just mean bread soaked in water or milk? I think also that the fat content is important. Add some wine!

Panade in meatballs commonly refers to bread soaked in milk. Some people squeeze the excess liquid out before adding to the meat and some, like me, don't.

I found this:

What is the Function of a Panade?
1) Adds moisture directly to the ground meat mixture. Liquids like milk, buttermilk, yogurt, stocks, or just plain water can be added.

2) The starch in the bread absorbs the liquid in the mixture and creates a starch paste. The paste coats the proteins and sets into a gel when cooked, preventing the proteins from linking too tightly together and squeezing out moisture. This keeps the shape of the ground meat while moisture is retained.

Source: The Science of Good Cooking

Technically, panade means mushy bread and is a starch thickener. For meatballs, American style, it's bread soaked in milk, though traditionally a panade is seasoned and cooked before it is incorporated. You can see where the name of the soup came out of the same word origin. There are other panade thickeners that are wet with stock rather than milk (or even water). The reason for using bread is that the flour is already cooked (and why you can skip the boiling if you're making meatballs), but there are also mixtures called panade by extension that are made with other starches.

Love the Mici recipe!

I recently made two meatball recipes...one more Italian and the other spicy ginger green onion. Both good but we prefer the Asian style. I used a rustic bread with the chewy crust, cuisinart pulsed and soaked in milk. (i used kefir).

I like the mushroom addition. And i saw on a cooking show where she added diced onion softened in the microwave. Mine were very moist but firmed up after rolling in panko. They roasted beautifully in the oven and were very moist with a nice crust. They froze well and near gone. Need to make more.

Wintercat, what you describe sounds very similar to something a local restaurant offers. It's called "cevapcici" and described as a "European skinless beef sausage." I've never gotten it because I always order the goulash. But I should make a point of trying it now. The owners are originally from Bosnia & Croatia, so they have several Eastern European dishes on their menu. Here's a picture of the "cevapcici" from the menu:

Well, at least you know what the word means in French rather that the American translation LOL It's an Occitan word and literally means soup made with bread.

I've never heard of panade referring to soup. Very interesting. When I think of French soup made with bread, I think ribollita. In Italy, pappa al pomadoro.

In any case, with regards to the OP's concern, a panade of bread and milk has forever changed my meatballs.

Got curious and found a great definition on what seems a very reliable site "Cook's Info"

It's not soup but a thickener made from various substances. It appears that what we're talking about here on CF is a sort of uncooked panade au pain.

From Cook's Info:

Panade is a paste with the consistency of a very moist dough. It can be savoury or sweet.

It is used as a thickener to:

• • bind other food ingredients together, such as ground meat or fish;
• thicken sauces;
• add volume, capture flavours.

A Panade is made from a liquid such as milk, stock or just water, with butter or egg yolk sometimes added, and a starchy item.

The starchy item used depend on what the Panade will be used for. Potato may be used for quenelles made from white meat, soft white bread crumbs (no crust) for fish, rice for ground meats. Also used are toasted bread, or flour.

For a mixture being bound together, the practice is to use an amount of panade equal to anywhere from 1/4 to 1/3 of the mixture being bound. Up to this point, it will bind and enhance flavour and texture. Beyond that, it's seen as someone cheaply trying to bulk something up.

The word "Panade" can also be used to describe a purée made as baby food that has a ground cracker or rice flour in it.

Cooking Tips

Panade à la farine (flour panade, used for quenelles)
1 cup (8 oz / 250ml water), 1/3 cup ( 3 oz / 80g) butter, 1 cup (5 oz / 150g) flour
Boil the water, melt the butter in it, lower to a medium heat, add the flour all at once and stir until thickened to the consistency of choux pastry dough and the mixture leaves the sides of the pot
variation: egg added

Panade au pain (bread panade, used for ground fish)
Boil together milk, bread and salt. Mix over heat until it has the consistency of choux pastry and the mixture leaves the sides of the pot; let cool before mixing in with fish.

Panade au riz (rice panade, used for a great variety of items)
2/3 cup uncooked rice (7 oz / 200g), 2 1/2 cups (1 pint / 600 ml) light-coloured stock, 1 tablespoon butter
Put all ingredients in a pot, cook the rice until it is very soft, without stirring. Then mix and purée all.

Panade à la pomme de terre (Potato panade, for large quenelles, and for veal)
Heat some milk with butter in it. Cut the potatoes in small, peeled pieces. Cook them in the milk. Purée all; season with nutmeg. Sometimes chilled before it is mixed in with other ingredients; sometimes used warm.

Panade à la frangipane (for ground poultry and fish)
See separate entry.

Language Notes

"Panade" means literally a "bread mash."

Also spelt "Panada."

German speakers sometimes confuse in German "Panade" with "Panierung"; "Panade" is bread used as a binding agent; "Panierung" is bread used as a coating.

The link: http://www.cooksinfo.com/panade

This is another interesting occasion wherethe word has clearly come to mean something different in the U.S. to it's original meaning.

Ribollita is Italian, not French.

Paner means to breadcrumb.

All words evolve but I like to find the origins of words. It's interesting, no?

For example Escoffier writes about une panade de pomme de terre used for quenelles stuffed with veal or other but panade tout court is bread soup. But,he's very strict on its use as he says it becomes elastic and unpleasant if worked cold. It must be warm.

In Belgium the word is used to talk about certain types of baby food. - Raw fruit mixed with biscuits. This term isn't used in France

.
https://fr.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/panade#.C3.89tymologie

It is a soup but used as a 'method' or ingredient. When i soaked torn pieces of day old boule, and DH asks what's that, it is a Panade. (for my meatballs)

In my Ginette Mathiot's book it is a soup. 8oz day old bread simmered in 8 1/2 cups water for 1 hour. Off heat mash the bread, stir in 1 tbsp salt and 1/2 cup of cream....serve hot. (really?) lol.

Instead i made Potage Bonne Femme. Made croutons with the bread.

But i do adore the cookbook. I use so much from it like using rice flour to thicken bisque...then two egg yolks.

When I think of it, I add duck fat.

Just finished reading the food section of my local newspaper. It featured a meatball recipe that included both fresh breadcrumbs AND bread slices that had been soaked in milk. Made me think of this discussion.

4 slices white bread soaked in 1/2 C milk and then squeezed, combined with 2 lbs ground meats, 1/2 C fresh breadcrumbs, and 1/2 cum grated Parm.

I bet duck fat adds lots of flavour.

It was a soup for very poor people. If you are in "la panade", you're in trouble.

I used many of the ideas above. Softened onions, shallots and garlic. Once cool chopped fine with mushrooms in the cuisinart...lemon zest and ginger etc. Yogurt/kefir soaked bread.

I did use 1/2 pork, then sirloin and lamb. Could use just pork. Or turkey.

They were very moist, but not too soft or mushy. Rolled in panko gave a nice crust that seemed to seal in the moisture. We had then in Naan, and with cucumber sauce in butter lettuce cups...and a bone broth leek potato lima bean soup...just delicious. I need to write this one down.

I froze one package un-baked to make stuffed grape leaves or collards.

The one tray i froze i baked a bit short in time, before browning, as they will be re-heated.

I did lay the tray in the freezer, once cooled in the fridge, for a few hours before FoodSaver freezing.

That looks fantastic!

What is most fantastic is having a full glass oven door at eye level that is as clear as when it is open and cooks evenly with no need to turn.

Having solved that, (eye roll), i need to go back to the drawing board for gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian....'meat balls'. I think some of the above tricks are a good starting point...and i love a challenge.

Exactly how much bread and milk to how much total meat please? Thanks.

Per pound of ground chicken, my recipe has 3 slices of Italian white (i.e., thick sliced batard or about a cup torn up) and 1/3 cup milk, but it's really just enough milk to thoroughly soak the bread. You squeeze out the excess liquid before you mix it in. I'd try the same proportions with all beef, but if you're using pork and/or veal you might need less. Another way to do it, is to use the same amount as you would of whatever starch binder you'd ordinarily use (compacting the bread, if you're comparing to oatmeal or something dense like that) and enough milk to wet and soak in.

That's about right. I had probably 3-4 lbs of ground meat. Way too much but i froze some packages. I used about three slices of a dense bread with the crust, let it soak up and did not need to squeeze...just crumbled the damp bread apart. I also used mushrooms and softened diced onion. All pulsed in the cuisinart. Added spices and let the mix, with the meat well blended together, rest in the fridge overnight. I planned to add a bit of water but it was plenty moist.