Secret to a Moist Meatball

Dry breadcrumbs
that will in turn make your food dry.

Until a recent encounter with a Food Network Chef, I like many foodies, had always prescribed to the belief that adding dry breadcrumbs to dishes like meatballs, meat loaf and crab cakes would enhance flavor and keep the items from disintegrating during the cooking process. Because I have always used breadcrumbs in the typical dry fashion, it took me by complete surprise to learn that breadcrumbs actually take away moisture, leaving the dishes dry and crumbly. According to Michael Psilakis, the secret to keeping whatever you are cooking from falling apart while cooking is fairly simple. To achieve the sticky consistency, simply use the breadcrumbs recommended and mix with a lesser amount of milk, this combination will create a paste-like substance which both holds your meat mixture together and infuses it with moisture. As someone who has tasted this particular method of meatball preparation compared to a meatball which uses just dry breadcrumbs, I can say with confidence that the paste makes a difference. I was looking up recipe for black bean patties which called for dry breadcrumbs and I thought back to the delicious meatball and wondered why more recipes wouldn’t call for the paste. I will be experimenting with this hypothesis with regards to hamburger patties and reporting back to my many viewers on who follow this blog. Happy eating!