Do you bake your meatballs or fry/brown them in the pan? (mushrooms, frozen)

[Msradell]

We always brown them in a fry pan and then put them in the oven on top of a rack so that all the grease drains away. After they are done we add them to the sauce if that's what they will be used for. Putting them partially uncooked into the sauce is bad for several reasons. Obviously any fat that comes out of them during the cooking process will be added to the sauce making it less healthy to eat, also it's quite possible that the being one that because completely through because of the lower cooking temperatures of the sauce.

There are many ways people cook them and no right or wrong way to do it, just personal preference and how you grew up doing it.

[Huckleberry3911948]

sauteed in pan cooked in gravy.

[believe007]

It depends, I've cooked them both ways with excellent results.
I prefer them baked, though....they seem leaner.

[L0ve]

Originally Posted by Msradell

. Putting them partially uncooked into the sauce is bad for several reasons. Obviously any fat that comes out of them during the cooking process will be added to the sauce making it less healthy to eat, also it's quite possible that the being one that because completely through because of the lower cooking temperatures of the sauce.

This is the reason that I do brown them first in a skillet, then slow cook them in the sauce.

Most of the grease does come out in the skillet, but what is leftover adds all of that good meat flavor to the sauce.

I usually low cook my sauce for around 6 hours, so they are juicy and well-done by the time the sauce is finished.

Mmmmmm, who is else is hungry for meatballs?

[Threestep2]

I measure them with an ice cream portioned and bake them in mini muffin tins. Uniform size please do not overtake.

[Chava61]

I brown them in oil and onions and then cook them in a tomato based mixture.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by nmnita

What, you never heard of that. I can't imagine not doing it that way. I learned from my dad and some other great cooks. They always browned them and added them to whatever sauce they were making. Are you saying you cook them some other way for Spaghetti and meat balls?

nita is right,,,ive had some of the best venison bambi balls, cooked right in the sauce

[kettlepot]

I bake them, but that's because I'm lazy and it is just so much easier that way. The bottoms will develop a nice crusty brownness and halfway through cooking, I roll them on to another side to crust over another part. About half the meatball gets nicely browned, and for me that's good enough. When done, I use what I need and freeze the rest.

Some of the other ways suggested above do sound like they would result in a tastier end product, but I doubt the improvement in flavor is enough to justify the extra work on my part.

[maggie2101]

I always bake them until lightly browned and them add some to whatever sauce and freeze the rest for later.

[newcomputer]

Originally Posted by Threestep

I measure them with an ice cream portioned and bake them in mini muffin tins. Uniform size please do not overtake.

this is the way I do mine! I make meat balls when I'm having meatloaf for supper and put the meatballs in the freezer. When I'm ready to use them, I put the frozen meatballs right into the sauce.

If I have enough meat mixture, I make a couple of hamburger/salisbury steak portions too and freeze them raw.

I don't usually cook ahead.