• I personally can’t stand overcooking meat. Searing the exterior to trap the juices and then letting the meatball split or the sauce overcook just pisses me off. Why go to the effort of sealing in the juices if they’re just going to render out? My parents had many recipes involving overcooked ground beef, and all of them bother me. They might have been what spurred me into becoming a vegetarian. I honestly can’t remember, but there was a straw, camel, and a back to break

    • Nuggsy@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Fair enough. There’s a video I watched by Mythical Kitchen not too long ago and they go through the different techniques used when making spaghetti and meatballs. I think they went for a sear type thing, but mostly because cooking it in the sauce for so long made the meatball really soft and fall apart easily and they preferred a tougher meatball. I don’t really remember though, so don’t take my word for it. Was an interesting watch regardless.

      I have nostalgia tied with that way of making meatballs. So, it may not be the best way to cook them, but they’re still delicious and reminds me of my nan.

      • Never heard of this program before. I can’t say that I like them as hosts but their information was decently high quality and accessible.

        To recap, mix the meat longer to produce a crunchier meatball (if you want), sear the ball to produce umami flavor (if you want) and cook in sauce to impart flavor into the sauce and (over)cook the meatball (if you want). Though there was a dark horse, boiling raw meatballs in sauce for a sort of soup meatball texture.

        Nothing inherently wrong with your baking method, but I have overriding trauma that would leave me stink eying you if I witnessed it. Caring about others’ food preferences beyond the improved expression of your own desired flavors and textures doesn’t make sense to me, for the most part. Almost always, really. I’m glad you found a food that produces such fond feelings for you and wish you many pleasant dinners.

    • TimewornTraveler@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      3 days ago

      I remember learning that searing actually doesn’t trap in juices. its only value is in the maillard reaction and is best done at the end of cooking as a reverse sear