Making meatballs???...?!
Making meatballs???...?
Do I have to brown them first before I put them in the crockpot with sauce, or can I just put them in the crockpot raw, and cook them in the sauce?
Answers:
you can do both, but browning them is better and locks in the flavor. Enjoy............................ just made some last night and my sons girlfriend asked me if i pan fried them first, i said yes but her mom does not. She places them in the sauce to cook.Another good idea is Mozz cheese. Take a small square of the cheese and form the meat around the cheese and then cook on low heat on all sides to trap the cheese in and let it cook all the way. What a surprise your family will have when they bite into the meatball and nice mozz cheese inside...very good eating. ENJOY !!!!
When you brown them you are carmelizing the meat and adding a depth of flavor. You can add them raw, but they will not be nearly as tasty
I like to brown them first to increase the flavor profile, but you don't have to, they will still turn out good.
Depending on what grade of meat you chose you may want to brown them, If I use sirloin or round I do not, any think woth more fat content I do so it will cook off and not make the sau too greasy. It's a matter of choice.
You don't have to brown them before you put them in the crockpot, but browning develops the flavor and renders out a lot of the fat. Your sauce won't need to have as much grease skimmed off, and the meatballs will taste better when they're fully cooked.
Brown them first...