The Baking Rack Hack For Perfectly Caramelized Meatballs

Meatballs are undoubtedly one of the most fun things to make. Sure, it may take a little time to shape every single meatball for a meal, but gather a few family members or friends and the hours can pass by in a blink. Cooking them, however, can be a little tedious. Stovetop methods require you to regularly rotate the meatballs for even cooking, and oven methods tend to yield flattened, extra-caramelized sides that stick to the pan.

But do not fret. There's an easy hack to make sure that your meatballs are caramelized on all sides, while also maintaining their round shape: Simply place them on a wire baking rack before putting them into the oven. This elevates the meatballs so that all of their sides are evenly exposed to heat. The best part is that you don't even have to lift a finger to rotate the meatballs during cooking.

Why is it important to get all sides of a meatball browned during cooking? Why, to maximize flavor, of course. The browning of meat is attributed to the Maillard reaction. Other than being a favored phrase for cooking nerds to drop, the Maillard reaction is the process that occurs when foods are browned during cooking, which gives them a satisfying and distinct flavor. Think of a browned steak versus a hunk of raw meat, or baked cookies versus raw cookie dough. The cooked versions will taste and look more appetizing due to browning, which occurs through the Maillard reaction.

If you're concerned about drippings from the meatballs making a mess, there's a built-in solution to the hack: By setting the wire baking rack into a rimmed baking sheet, the pan below will catch any and all drippings. You can line it with foil for easy cleanup, or use the drippings to make an accompanying gravy. You can even save the drippings to flavor a delicious tomato sauce.

You can try this meatball baking rack hack out with some delicious meatball recipes. With IKEA-style Swedish meatballs, you can catch the meatballs' drippings and use them to flavor your dish. You could even make meatballs out of juicy beef brisket, then set the baking rack over a pan of marinara sauce, to later assemble the ultimate meatball marinara sub sandwich. These are just a few of the ways you can utilize the caught meatball drippings from this hack to enhance the dish or other dishes.

You can also use this hack to cook other cuts of beef, from thinly sliced flank steaks to hefty porterhouse steaks. Other meats can also be cooked in this manner, such as whole chickens and other poultry. This ensures even cooking all around. Plus, the skin doesn't stick to the pan. You can also try this out with hardy vegetables, like carrots and eggplants. The baking rack will help you to get those wonderful grill marks with minimum effort.