Mar 7 2017

Tuesday’s Tip with The Kitchen Whisperer – Shaping Meatballs

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You’ve mixed up the perfect meatball mixture and you go to shape them but they keep sticking to your hands. On today’s Tuesday’s Tip with The Kitchen Whisperer I’m teaching you my trick on how to shape meatballs without them sticking to your hands!

Hey you meatball – not you, I’m talking about the meatball mixture that sticks to your hands every time you go to roll them. Okay fine if you’re frilly and don’t get your hands dirty well then go search my site for more meatball recipes. However if you get your hands in there and mix up that mixture you’re gonna want to stick around while I share with you how to NOT have your meatball mixture stick to your hands. For me I find making meatballs or meatloaf kind of therapeutic. Almost like kneading dough by hand. It allows me to take out my stress – to a certain degree. I mean you certainly don’t want to overwork the mixture or dough as you’ll end up with super tough meatballs and bread that’s pretty much like a rock.

This trick is one that Mom taught me when I was wee little. Now Mama’s meatballs weren’t exactly good. Sorry Mom but you used GINORMOUS chunks of bread and onions in yours and that’s just yucky. LOL But what she did teach me was out to keep the mixture from clumping all up on my fingers and hands.

Ready? It’s super difficult <insert eye roll and giggle>

About every 2-3 meatball shaping just wet your hands. Yes, just wet them with cold water. The water creates a barrier between your skin and the meat mixture and prevents from sticking. I’ve seen some folks use oil and while that is “okay” why add the extra fat? Go with the cold water – yes cold. You don’t want hot as you don’t want the hot water to start to cook the meatballs on the outside.

Do you have any Mom kitchen tips you’d like to share? I’m putting together another round of TKW Family tips post.

Make it a meal!

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4 responses

Licia

March 9, 2017

I agree about the water, I do it always when rolling meatballs…If your like me, I make a lot when I make them and my trick is I use a shallow bowl (my pasta dishes) I put cold water in bowl and dip my flat hand in every so often. ( keeps sink handle clean) Its amazing how good the water works. Love your posts

Reply
1. TKWAdmin
  
  March 10, 2017
  
  Yeah I do the same thing with the bowl of water. No need to get meat on the sink handles, right? And thank you so very much for your kind words1 I really appreciate it! If you have tips you’d like to see on here I’m always open to creating more “TKW Family Tips”!
  
  Best Kitchen Wishes!
  
  Reply
SandyToes

March 7, 2017

I’ve read the wet hands tip before, but never known I needed to keep dipping them. That’s new, and explains why it never worked that well for me, so thanks!

I’d love to share some of Mom’s tricks, but every time I try to think of something, anything, I learned in her kitchen, I’m instantly reminded of what Erma Bombeck once wrote: “The only thing I learned at my mother’s knee is what a bony knee looks like.”

Mom cooked, but it wasn’t her best skill, not by a long shot. This is why I look forward to your weekly Tuesday’s Tip column.

Reply
1. TKWAdmin
  
  March 8, 2017
  
  HAHAHA I’ve never heard that phrase. No for me Mom always put me on the table when I was wee little or pulled up a chair beside her when I was not quite tall enough. Yep for this you have to keep re-wetting with cold water.
  
  Best Kitchen Wishes!
  
  Reply