Chef Donald Counts Shares How to Make Delicious Meatballs

By Nolan Sandome -

A well-made Italian meatball can find its place among tomato sauce-covered noodles, a bed of polenta, and even be the savory filling in a delicious sandwich. With such versatility, it’s good to know a great recipe that guarantees a great product every time. That’s why the National Executive Chef of City Winery, Donald Counts, kindly shared his secret to creating delicious meatballs!

Chef Donald Counts Shares How to Make Delicious Meatballs

The Required Ingredients

To make these delicious meatballs, set aside 20 minutes of prep time, 20 minutes of cooking time, and the following ingredients:

A pound of ground beef.
A pound of ground pork.
One large egg.
Half a cup of parsley.
Two tablespoons of salt.
Mince two garlic cloves.
Half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
Half a tablespoon of onion powder.
Three and a half cups of breadcrumbs.
Half a cup of grated parmesan.
A cup of milk.

Chef Donald Counts Shares How to Make Delicious Meatballs

Form and Cook the Meatballs

Start by getting a medium bowl and crack the egg in it. Then, add both kinds of minced meat, the parsley, salt, salt, garlic, onion powder, grated parmesan, and red pepper flakes. In a different bowl, combine the milk and breadcrumbs. Stir until the bread absorbs all of the milk.

raw meatballs — Chef Donald Counts Shares How to Make Delicious Meatballs

Add the breadcrumbs to the meat mixture and mix to combine. Start forming approximately 4-ounce meatballs. In the meantime, let the oven preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place each meatball on a baking sheet, about an inch away from each other. Bake them for 15-20 minutes and add to your preferred meatball dish.

Chef Counts’ Tips

Meatballs with white sauce — Chef Donald Counts Shares How to Make Delicious Meatballs

Chef Donald Counts always soaks his breadcrumbs in milk before adding them to the meat mixture to help make each meatball more structurally sound. The staler the breadcrumbs, the better they’ll absorb the milk. When choosing meat for this recipe, Chef Counts recommends choosing beef or pork with a somewhat higher fat content. Lastly, he warns against overmixing the ingredients to avoid making an overly-dense meatball.