Skinny CrockPot Porcupine Meatballs | Weight Watchers Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do my meatballs fall apart in the slow cooker? ›

One disadvantage to the slow cooker is that meatballs may fall apart if you put them in the pot raw. By partially cooking the meatballs before you put them in the slow cooker, you can ensure your meatballs do not fall apart.

The name comes from the appearance of the meatballs, which appear prickly when the rice pokes out of them as they cook, resembling a porcupine. Porcupine meatballs can be made in the slow cooker or baked. They can be served with relish such as red cabbage or radish and mashed potatoes.

After removing the quills, if you choose to do so, you can roast the porcupine whole over the fire or butcher as you desire prior to cooking. Some cultures and primitive skills practitioners will also bury the whole porcupine in a pit of coals to roast, steaming it overnight and waking up to a delectable meal.

Breadcrumbs: I add breadcrumbs for texture. I also love substituting them for crushed saltine crackers like we do for this meatloaf. Milk: Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked. Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked.

While there could be a few causes for your meatballs to fall apart, most of the time it's because you didn't mix up the ingredients well enough. You don't want to overwork the meat to the point that it gets tough, but you need to work it enough to get everything well combined in order to keep them from falling apart.

In China, eaters have enjoyed “Four Joy Meatballs” since the Qin Dynasty. And we know that ancient Romans made meatballs often, thanks to the 1st century cookbook Apicius that still survives today. However, the meatball is thought to have originated in ancient Persia.

The most likely candidate for the original meatball seems to be kofta, a dish of minced or ground beef, chicken, pork, or lamb, mixed with rice, bulgur, or mashed lentils. Now typically fashioned into cigar-sized cylinders, kofta seems to have originated with the Persians, who passed it to the Arabs.

Called polpettes, Italian meatballs are often served sauceless and are much smaller than the meatballs you're probably used to. Traditional Italian meatballs typically contain equal portions of meat and soaked bread, and other additions such as egg and vegetables.

A number of larger predators like coyotes, great horned owls and bobcats will take an occasional porcupine, but these predators have little impact on porcupine numbers. Fisher, however, are effective predators of porcupines and can control porcupine populations in areas where they both live.

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.

Do meatballs get more tender the longer they cook? ›

Tenderizing the Meat:

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

When roasted, the collagen and connective tissue present in meat will start to break down. It will melt more thoroughly if slow-roasted, and if you add liquid, it will break down even more quickly as it's water soluble.