Meatball Recipes

September 18, 2012

Is there anything better than a good meatball? Whether a softball-sized Shanghainese Lion's Head meatball, an Italian-American red sauce version served over spaghetti, or a clever Thanksgiving dinner-in-a-meatball, these recipes all pack a wallop of flavor into a single sphere.

Lou Di Palo shared his grandmother's recipe for the meatballs that he sells at his family's store, Di Palo's Fine Foods, in New York City--perfect with spaghetti. See the recipe for Spaghetti and Meatballs »Todd Coleman

These giant ginger and garlic-spiced meatballs, a Shanghainese classic, come from home cook Eatty Du. See the recipe for Braised "Lion's Head" Meatballs with Napa Cabbage »Todd Coleman

Herb Meatballs in Tomato-Plum Sauce These tender Iranian meatballs are simmered in a sweet-tart tomato and dried plum sauce. See the recipe for Kufteh »Todd Coleman

Beef meatballs and fresh escarole lend sweet depth to this comforting Italian-American soup. See the recipe for Escarole Soup »Todd Coleman

For this traditional Iraqi-Jewish dish, ground-lamb meatballs are braised in a vibrant beet stew. See the recipe for Beet Stew with Lamb Meatballs »André Baranowski

Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes In Sweden meatballs are served plain, as a snack; on a sandwich with beet salad; or as they are here, with mashed potatoes, creamy gravy, and tart lingonberry preserves. See the recipe for Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes »Todd Coleman

Pork-and-Rice Meatball Soup Ciorbă (from the Turkish çorba) is the Romanian name for a soup that has been soured¿in this case, with a generous shot of fresh lemon juice. Pork-and-rice meatballs bring savory flavor and substance to the paprika-spiced broth. See the recipe for Ciorbă De Perisoare »Landon Nordeman

The key to making these meatballs is to brown them first in a skillet and then braise them in a sauce of red wine and tomatoes. Serve them with crusty bread or spaghetti to sop up the sauce. See the recipe for Classic Meatballs »Todd Coleman

Fish Balls in Tomato Sauce — A spicy tomato sauce injects bright flavor into these fish balls, a North African Jewish delicacy. Get the recipe for Fish Balls in Tomato Sauce »Todd Coleman

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Redolent of oregano and mint, these meatballs are served in northern Greece as a meze with fried potatoes or steamed rice. See the recipe for Keftedes me Saltsa Domata »Todd Coleman

These turkey meatballs--which appear in The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow--combine all the flavors of Thanksgiving in one perfect package: ground turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and a little bit of autumnal spices. They're particularly great topped with a little bit of gravy. See the recipe for Gobble Gobble Balls »Melissa Hom

Vietnamese Pork Meatball and Noodle Salad In Lauren Shockey's culinary memoir Four Kitchens, in which this recipe appears, the author writes: "After pho, bun cha is one of Hanoi's most famous dishes and is a delicious summertime lunch or light dinner. In Hanoi, you'll know you're at a bun cha stand by the smoke wafting from the charcoal grills. Living in New York City, I don't have the luxury of cooking pork on a charcoal grill, but my stove's broiler works just fine." See the recipe for Bun Cha »Helen Rosner

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