Meatballs? page

[erica057]

Do meatballs really *need* a binder? I know that CW meatball recipes generally use breadcrumbs or similar. There are plenty of substitutes that I could use: coconut flour, almond meal, crushed pork rinds, and so on. But do I really need to use anything? Could I just make my favorite meatball recipe leaving out the binder? Or will they fall apart?

[ikaika]

I don't think they need one.

edit: Or try bacon.

[federkeil]

egg is a binder...

[samiam]

i am sitting here waiting for my meatballs to finish stewing in their tomatoy goodness and i saw your post lol. we use vegetables as a binder along with egg. we grate up carrots and zucchini (pretty much anything you have in the fridge) and it works awesome as a binder in meatballs and meatloaf. (also if you dont tell them the fussy ones eat vegies none the wiser :-))

[rkj1969]

The egg is really the binder, the filler just helps make the meatballs lighter, moister and "stretches" the meat......so sam's grated veggies are a great idea - I do the same!

You can absolutely make them by just leaving out the grain, when I've tried it, they've just been kind of dense.

[unchatenfrance]

You definitely need a binder or else they will fall apart. Eggs are wonderful. Make your mixture, shape the meatballs and then let them sit for a few hours for everything to bind together before cooking them. (Ditto for patties).

[erica057]

egg is a binder...

Oops, true; I meant specifically starchy binder! I do plan to use eggs

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[kitana]

As long as the meat is lean - they'll be fine. It's when the hamburger is too fatty that they need a binder. The fat melts during cooking and the meat falls apart. I just made some with lean bison meat, no binder, and it worked fine. They were not the least bit crumbly.

[Paleobird]

I use egg plus dehydrated onion. It holds things together well and tastes great.

[lil_earthmomma]

I really want to try this recipe:
Italian Sausage Meatballs with Fresh Herbs | Mark's Daily Apple

It was reviewed on a celiac board as the most tender of the grain free recipes tried!!!